North Star
by Lucky Strike's alter ego
Summary: Emma Rogers has settled into a peaceful life after the events of Hydra. Her and Peter's relationship is stronger than ever, she has her father back in her life, and she still keeps in contact with Steve. She's finally found some peace among the horrors of her past. That is, until she bumps into Thor and Loki one afternoon. Nothing will ever be the same again. *SEQUEL to STNS*
1. Part One: Prologue

**Part One: Sinking**

* * *

_Outside, it's getting colder_

_Why does it feel like I'm older than I asked to be?_

_But when you say my name_

_It all falls away so tenderly_

**_-Sinking by Clairo_**

* * *

"Stevie, I want to go with you! Let me go with you!" A small blonde girl whined after she trailed off after an older and taller boy with similar blonde hair.

"You can't come with me, Carol," The boy named Stevie told her, looking quite annoyed with the short blonde girl. She pouted.

"Why not?" She questioned and he sighed tiredly.

"Because you're a girl," The boy told the girl who immediately looked hurt from his statement. The girl was dressed like a tomboy with jean shorts, a boy's Star Wars t-shirt, and a pair of converse sneakers. Her knees had various scrapes and bruises from often playing outside and getting into trouble. "We'll play with the Atari when I get back. You wouldn't want to come with me anyways. Me and the guys are just doing a bunch of boring boy stuff. You wouldn't be interested."

The girl forced the tears out of her eyes as her brother gave her an apologetic look. She didn't want him to think that she even more of a girl than he thought she was. The boy just gave her a sad look before running out the door, rushing off to join his friends to play a quick game of neighborhood baseball.

"Carol!" A man's voice shouted and the little girl immediately turned to the voice. An older gruff looking man in his late thirties stood there staring at her. "You don't need to be hanging out with your brother and those boys. You don't know the things people think about a girl who spends all her time hanging out with just boys."

"I just wanted to play baseball, dad," The small girl told him with an innocent look on her face but the man looked unimpressed with her statement.

"Baseball's a boys game, Carol. Why don't you go over to Suzy Michaelson's house? She probably has a barbie dream house or something you can play with," The man told her before turning back into the kitchen and disappearing. The girl sniffled as a couple tears fell from her eyes.

He didn't see her for who she was.

* * *

_He saw her as a girl and unequal to her brother._

Emma Rogers woke up from her dream with a gasp only to realize she was in her bedroom at the compound. Safe and secure from whatever that dream or what it meant.

It had been four months since the dreams started and she didn't know if they would ever end. Emma wasn't even sure if they counted as dreams. They felt more like memories but not her own memories. It was like she was watching a movie in someone else's head.

Someone named Carol.

Emma didn't know why she kept having dreams about the woman she first saw in that dream about the tesseract all those months ago. She was positive that she never met the woman before. Not in real life but she kept having dreams about her for some reason. Emma didn't even know if the woman was real but something told Emma that she was. There was no way she could be having all these dreams about some made up character in her head unless she was as crazy as some people liked to think.

The blonde teenager sat up in bed, taking deep breaths as she started calming down from the dream. It wasn't a nightmare but these dreams still took a toll on her. Mostly because she didn't understand anything about them.

Emma was alone in bed that night.

It was the weekend so she and Peter were at the compound which obviously meant they couldn't share a bed. Her father often woke up from nightmares and tended to check on her during the night to make sure she was okay. Emma was certain he wouldn't find it cute that she and Peter were in the same bed so she and Peter decided to sleep in their respective rooms. He still came over during the school week when she was at the townhouse. Sometimes they'd have sex or sometimes they would just talk until they both fell asleep.

Emma decided that she really didn't feel like falling asleep again so she got up from her bed and decided to head for the kitchen for a glass of water. She passed Peter's room along the way and paused near his door. For a second, she contemplated going to him and talking to him about the dream but Emma didn't want to wake him up. Tony had him working late in the lab the previous night so she knew he was tired. Her dream was probably just nothing so Emma continued on her way to the kitchen.

The teenage girl walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the sink. She took a glass from one of the cupboards and immediately filled it with water. Emma took a long sip as she let her mind wander.

"Bad dream?" Bucky Barnes asked from his seat at the kitchen island. Emma leaned against the kitchen counter and shrugged. She supposed it would've scared the shit out of anyone else at how quiet her father had been but truthfully she knew he was in the kitchen from the moment she walked in.

"Not really," Emma told him as her thoughts kept drifting back to that dream. She felt her father's eyes on her face and she knew he was trying to get a good read on her. "You?"

"Same as usual," Her father told her. Emma knew her father didn't sleep much at night. Maybe four or five hours. Six hours if he was lucky. Yes, Shuri had managed to erase all of Hydra's brainwashing from his mind but she couldn't erase the bad memories. "What was the dream about if it wasn't bad?"

Bucky was honestly curious about what was going on inside his daughter's head. She walked around in a state of confusion these days. It seemed like she had a lot on her mind. Not in a bad way or anything but it just seemed like something was bothering her. He didn't think it had to do with the stuff with Rumlow and Hydra or Steve going on the run again but he knew something was eating away at her. He just didn't know what.

"I don't know. It's kind of hard to explain," Emma mumbled, her eyes distant as she stared at the glass of water in her hands. "If I tried to explain it aloud, I don't think it would make any sense."

"Try me," Bucky told her, wanting to understand what was going on with Emma. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Emma swallowed hard before answering him.

"I keep having these dreams about this woman," Emma finally said much to her father's curiosity. "I don't know who she is but I see her in my dreams. I think her name's Carol or something. It's so weird because I feel like I've known her for the longest time but I'm positive I've never met her before."

"Why do you feel like you know her?" Bucky asked and Emma shrugged.

"I don't know. I just do," Emma said quietly, her fingers tracing the rim of the glass. "Sometimes I think I see her memories. When she was little and everything. Her dad was kind of a dick. It makes me grateful I have you."

"I'm honestly a better father? Me?" Bucky joking asked and Emma smiled at him.

"You don't look at me differently because I'm a girl," Emma explained as the smile faded. "You never told me to go play with my barbie dream house."

"I hate to think what would happen if I did," Bucky retorted and Emma laughed. "You probably would've ripped off my other arm."

"I just don't understand these dreams. I feel like the woman's real," Emma said, growing more serious as her mind still seemed to be on those dreams. "I can't explain it. I don't know. This all probably sounds crazy."

"I don't think so," Bucky said softly as he considered everything thoughtfully. "Maybe this woman is you in a sense. What did Dr. Wallis say?"

"She said that these dreams could be because I'm in a new phase of my life. I'm moving on from my past and blah, blah, blah," Emma said, rolling her eyes at the thought of the resident psychologist at the compound. Tony hired Dr. Gabriella Wallis a few months ago as a requirement for Bucky's house arrest but he also hired her as a psychologist for all the Avengers. Apparently Ross now wanted updates on everyone's mental health as part of the accords. Emma honestly didn't know how Tony was passing all the tests.

"You promised you'd try," Bucky reminded her and Emma gave him a displeased look. "I don't like talking to a shrink either but I think this will be good for us in the long run. Dr. Wallis is probably right. Maybe you've actually moved on and these dreams reflect that."

"So you think I have an imaginary friend now?" Emma questioned sarcastically and Bucky rolled his eyes. "I already have more friends than I care to have. I'd rather not start imagining ones."

"Well, these dreams aren't nightmares, right?" Bucky asked as he moved the conversation forward. "You used to have nightmares all the time. Now you're having dreams that you don't wake up screaming from. I'd say that's progress."

"Maybe you're right," Emma admitted. She knew her father made a lot of sense. Did she honestly think the woman in her dreams was real? That just wasn't possible. It was almost insane that she believed that. "I guess I really am going crazy."

"You're not crazy. You've just been through a lot," Bucky told his daughter, giving her an affectionate look. Emma smiled at him.

"I wish you would think that way about yourself," She said softly and Bucky just looked down at the counter.

"You believe that about me and I think that's enough," Bucky told her quietly. Emma seemed to think the world of him and Bucky didn't think he would ever feel like he deserved her adoration. She was too good for him and the only person who didn't know it was her.

"I think I'll try to get more sleep now," Emma said to her father as she placed the now empty glass in the sink. "Peter and I have to get up and train with Maria in a few hours."

Bucky rolled his eyes at the mere mention of Peter Parker.

"I can't believe you're still with that idiot," Bucky grumbled and Emma smirked at him. "You know what I caught your boyfriend doing the other day?"

"No, what?" She asked, thoroughly amused by her father's disproval of her boyfriend.

"He was watching _The Notebook _and bawling his eyes out like a baby," Bucky informed her and instead of Emma laughing like he thought she would, she looked concerned. Emma frowned as she looked at her father. "The sad part was that he wasn't even ashamed."

"He watched _The Notebook _by himself? I told him not to," Emma said, looking worried about Peter. "He can't watch sad movies like that by himself, Papa. He's very sensitive."

"Sensitive meaning a pussy," Bucky muttered and Emma glared at him. It was clear she didn't appreciate him insulting her precious Peter Parker.

Bucky wanted to groan in frustration at how sickeningly in love Emma was with that boy. A part of him hoped that she would get bored with the boy who was the most ordinary person Bucky ever met despite the kid having remarkable powers. However, Bucky knew, for some insane reason, the boy made Emma really happy so Bucky had long learned to tolerate him.

"Peter's one of the bravest people I know," Emma told him with a certain fierceness that always seemed to come in to play whenever she was defending Peter or her father. The blonde never usually felt the need to defend Steve since her grandfather was more than capable of defending himself. Her father and Peter, however, needed her protection. "Just because your generation's definition of masculinity is old fashioned and gives way to gender role stereotypes, doesn't mean that Peter's any less of a man than you are. In fact, I think it's very manly that he's so open with his emotions. It's attractive."

Bucky stared at her blankly for a moment. He wondered what it was about Peter Parker that attracted his daughter to him. Bucky supposed that girls would find him attractive with his Bambi eyes and innocent smile but the kid was the dorkiest person Bucky had ever met. That was saying a lot since Bucky grew up with one of the biggest dorks of all time. He told Emma jokes that weren't funny yet she still laughed at how unfunny the jokes were. Bucky then realized something about the kid.

Peter Parker was romantic.

He wasn't romantic like Bucky used to be either. Bucky had always romanced girls in his youth but Peter romanced just one girl.

Peter showered Emma with adoration and love. The kid was always holding her hand whenever he could. Whether it was them walking through the hallways of the compound or just at the dinner table, he made an effort to hold her hand. He was always giving her giving her little gifts whenever he could too. Sometimes it was a book she really wanted to read or her favorite candy but nevertheless, Peter was always giving her something. He didn't do it to get something out of it either. The only expectation Peter had was Emma's happiness.

Bucky really tried to find a reason to hate Peter but he wasn't finding it possible these days. What was there to hate? The kid clearly loved Emma and made her happy. Darcy was right when she asked him what was wrong with Emma having a boyfriend who would move mountains for her.

It just annoyed him that Peter Parker was so perfect.

"You've been spending too much time with Darcy," Bucky muttered and it was the only response he could think of.

"Why? Jealous?" Emma said, rolling her eyes as she began to leave the kitchen. Bucky didn't bother responding to her this time as she walked past him and left him sitting there glaring down at the kitchen island. He shook his head slowly.

"Smart ass."

* * *

_A girl with blonde hair sat underneath a table in what must have been a kitchen. She sat there in fear as she trembled and struggled to keep her crying quiet. The table cloth obscured much of her view but there was no hiding the dead body of a red haired woman lying several feet away. _

_The woman's gaze was still and unmoving but somehow the little girl still had hope that her mother would wake up and save her. However, an adult would know there would be no coming back from a large neck wound like that. The wound was so bad that there was still blood pouring out from it._

_The little girl let out a small whimper as she saw a pair of boots step over her mother. The person's footsteps were loud and echoed throughout the now quiet house. The child trembled even more as she watched the pair of boots get closer and closer to where she was at in the kitchen. It didn't take long for the footsteps to stop and when they did the kitchen table was sudden lifted up into the air and thrown against the wall with ease. _

_The girl screamed in terror as a man loomed over her with a sadistic grin on his face. His eyes were dark, holding a certain maliciousness that would fill, anyone who would stare into them, with unease. His smile was wolfish and terrifying. _

_To someone as young as the child, he was a monster._

_"__Come on, little girl," The man said tauntingly, causing the girl to start crying hysterically which only amused the man. "Don't be afraid."_

_"__Y-You did something to d-daddy and m-mommy," The girl cried but the man just grinned at her._

_"__That's right and if you don't get up from that floor right now I'll do worse to you," He threatened, his smile unwavering until a small pool of urine suddenly appeared on the linoleum floor. The little girl sniffled, looking both terrified and embarrassed. The man's glee morphed into severe disgust as he sneered at the child._

_"__Don't worry. Once we're done with you, you'll never piss yourself again…not unless you want some broken fingers and I would hate for you to break anything. It would be a shame," The man said in a sickly sweet tone before roughly grabbing her and abruptly throwing her over his shoulder. _

_The girl screamed in surprise but she didn't try to escape the man's clutches. This was a man who had just murdered her parents. Even at a young age, the girl knew better. She just cried as the man walked her out of the kitchen, passing the bodies of two people the little girl knew all too well._

_A woman, her eyes wide and dead as they stared up at the ceiling, with her throat slit and blooding soaking the carpet her body rested on. _

_A man lying at the bottom of the stairwell face down and his face unrecognizable from the multiple bullets wounds he too to the face. His hair used to be as blonde as the girl's but was now stained red with his own blood. _

_The little girl reached out to them from over the man's shoulder, looking desperate for them wake up and save her, but they didn't make a sound. They remained motionless, never lifting a finger to save her but only because they were already dead. _

_The man stole her from the house but he also stole from everything she ever knew in a ploy to turn her into a weapon. There would be no one left to save her or question her death. Her godfather would get drunk to forget her and her dead parents when he got the news while her grandfather was still frozen in ice unaware that he had a son let alone a granddaughter who needed his help. _

_The girl would never be the same again after that day. _

_Her carefree and peaceful life had come to an end at only four-years-old. It didn't matter if she found happiness later on. The next nine years of her life would always be there in the back of her mind for probably the rest of her life._

* * *

"She just didn't know if she accepted that yet," Carol Danvers murmured in her sleep before her eyes shot open as she woke up from her strange yet equally terrifying nightmare. The blonde woman sat up in bed on her quiet and small spaceship. It was a newer one she won in a bet she made with a male Astran several months ago. He hadn't had been happy to lose his ship but Carol was glad to have it.

Her mind was still processing the nightmare.

All the blood, screams of horrors, and crying.

Carol could still feel the panic and fear in her heart…almost as if she were in the little girl's shoes. She didn't know why she kept having dreams of that girl. Carol was certain that the little girl was the teenage girl she kept seeing in her dreams as well.

For the past few months Carol rarely dreamed of anything other than the girl. She didn't know why but she felt like she knew her. For what felt like forever, Carol searched for anything that could explain these dreams. Some people told her that these dreams were just dreams. The girl in them wasn't real and Carol was taking it too seriously. However, Carol knew that these weren't just dreams.

The girl was real.

Carol didn't know how to explain it but something inside her told her that the girl was real and just like her. Maybe not completely like her, given some of the dreams she had which she was almost positive were the memories of the girl.

Speaking of which…

The dream she had tonight of the girl was the most horrifying yet. Carol always caught glimpses of the girl's life in her dreams. Sometimes the memories were blurry and dark. There was a certain coldness to them that chilled Carol right to the bone. Somehow she got the feeling that the girl's life hadn't exactly been pleasant.

However, there were other nicer memories.

There were ones with a man with longish brown hair and pale blue eyes. He had a gaze which would always soften whenever he looked at the girl. The man also had a fatherly presence which Carol determined was different from her own father who she had resented for much of her life. Carol didn't know how to describe it but she could feel what the girl was feeling throughout these dreams. The girl always felt supported, loved, and comforted in the presence of the older man.

Carol felt jealous because her own father had never been so decent but at the same time she felt comforted by the fact. She didn't know the girl but Carol felt a connection to her. She felt like she knew her so she also hated the feeling of loneliness and fear she felt in some of the dreams because she knew that's what the girl felt.

There were other people Carol saw in the dreams.

A man with hair just as blonde as the girl's. Carol never saw his face clearly, the only face she ever saw was the man Carol assumed was the girl's father, but she sensed an overwhelmingly amount of respect and love the girl had for him. He walked with his shoulders straight and his head held high. The girl's posture resembled his own almost identically.

There was another man with mischief in his brown eyes who always seemed to tease the girl. The girl pretended to find him annoying but Carol knew she loved him just as she loved her father and the man with blonde hair.

Sometimes there were other people in the dreams too. A brunette woman with glasses, a teenage girl with frizzy hair, and a short woman with red hair and emerald green eyes but the girl's memories mostly focused on four men. The father, the blonde man, and the annoying one but also the fourth one.

The boy.

There was a teenage boy featured in the girl's memories almost as much as her father seemed to star in her memories. The feelings the girl felt for the boy were overwhelming. So much that Carol always felt winded after waking up from one of the dreams.

Carol had never been in love before.

The former Air Force pilot was much too focused on school and mischief when she was the girl's age. When she was older she was focused on making a name for herself in the Air Force. Then, of course, Carol got her powers and ever since then, her life had been busy. Too much to settle down with someone and fall in love.

Still…after sifting through the girl's memories, Carol knew what being in love felt like. It was an intoxicating feeling which explained why much of humanity was obsessed with it. Carol finally understood what all the hype was about because she knew it just wasn't about hand holding, kissing, cuddling, or even sex. It was more than that.

A partnership.

The answer to loneliness.

A reason to get up in the morning.

Blissful happiness.

It was all these things and more but for some reason Carol began to associate the notion of being in love with unbelievably beautiful warm brown eyes. Carol couldn't say if that was her honest opinion about the boy's eyes but she saw everything through the girl's eyes and that's what the girl saw when she looked at the boy.

Carol fell back against her pillow as she thought about the dreams more. She was still in the process of trying to figure out what they meant and who the girl was. If the girl was even real…maybe Carol was finally losing it, after all. It would make sense after all this time if she were to lose it.

Even so, Carol allowed a small smile to appear on her face.

It was funny to think there had been a time where Carol didn't even remember her own life let alone someone else's. There was a time where Carol remembered nothing yet decades later Carol had both her own memories as well as someone else's. Yes, tonight's nightmare about the girl had been particularly bad. It made her worried about the girl in question and everything she had been through in her life. On the other hand, Carol remembered all the happy dreams about the girl and she knew that wherever the girl was right now, she was happy.

Carol couldn't tell you how she knew the girl was happy but she just did. In her heart, she knew that the girl was happy and had moved on with her life. She could feel the girl's happiness in more recent memories where the girl was older than she was in tonight's dream. It might not have made any sense but Carol could feel the girl's happiness practically radiating from her.

Even from across the universe.

The thought of the mystery girl, from Carol's dreams, being happy put a smile on Carol's face.

Carol didn't even know the girl's name but she knew she was happy.


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note: AND I'm back. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to finally publish the sequel. I just got so caught up in school because it's way more work than I originally imagined. I wanted to update two months ago but one of my classes is really taking a lot out of me. It's all good though because I still have straight A's and I'm almost done with the quarter. I'm honestly hoping that the next chapter won't take me as long. I'm already almost half way done with it although I just took on a vice president role for the club of the program I'm enrolled in at school so that's adding even more to my plate. Hopefully not too much more. I'll have to see.**

** It's weird because the whole storyline of this chapter was meant to be a 2,000 word flashback and chapter two was actually meant to be chapter one but I couldn't stop myself from writing and honestly, the beginning of this story should start with Emma and Peter. So I reorganized everything and had this be the first chapter instead of what I originally planned because everything flowed better with it organized like this. That probably sounded like a bunch of gibberish but you'll understand more when I post the next chapter. **

**I really can't say just how happy I am to finally publish this story on here. I have to tell you the first couple chapters are going to be filled with a lot of fluff but the story will take a more serious turn around chapter three or four. It'll still be a few chapters before the Thor: Ragnarok storyline because I want to set up the story before we just dive into that so be patient with my need for pacing myself in my stories.**

**I just want to put a disclaimer in here that I own none of the characters in this story other than Emma. Everything belongs to Marvel. I also don't own the lyrics to 'Sinking' by Clairo or 'Patricia' by Florence+The Machine that loosely(very loosely) inspired this story.**

**Thanks to Another random account for doing the cover for the story and thanks for just listening to me ramble on and on about ideas for the story. I must've come up with and then threw away dozens and dozens of ideas. Some of those ideas were absolutely dumb and insane(you know which one I'm talking about) so thanks for just listening and giving me honest and constructive feedback. **

**Also, thanks to everyone for being so patient with me. This story's come along a lot later than I intially planned but I'm proud that I finally published it. Thanks to all the follows and favorites on 'Some Things Never Sleep'. I can't believe it but 'Some Things Never Sleep' now has over 2,000 follows and over a million views. That's insane so just thank you. I'll wrap up my rambling and let you read the story now. Please let me know what you think and review.**

**Thanks again!**

* * *

"Put the pepperoni over the top," Peter told his girlfriend as they stood in the kitchen of his and May's apartment. Emma bit her lip, looking quite uncertain as she looked at the beautiful and already delicious looking pizza Peter had made. It was lying in front of them on the kitchen counter ready to go in the oven.

"I'm going to ruin the pizza, Peter. You know how bad I am at cooking," Emma said in response, afraid that she would ruin the pizza Peter worked so hard to make. "I think I might be worse at cooking than Tony is and that's saying a lot. Remember when I helped Papa make that green bean casserole for Thanksgiving? It still smells like burnt socks in the compound."

"You're not even cooking. It's just putting something on top of something else," Peter told her reassuringly. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll set the timer so it won't burn. We'll be fine. Just put the pepperoni on the pizza."

"Fine. You asked for it," Emma said as she took a handful of the pepperoni Peter had left out and started placing them on top of the pizza. "I hope you know that I have the opposite of the Midas touch when it comes to cooking. Everything I touch turns to ash."

"Well, this pizza is going to turn out amazing," Peter said, not wanting Emma to worry over burning the pizza. When she finished with the pepperoni, Peter sprinkled more cheese on top of the pizza that was covered in various toppings. He then took it and placed it in the oven. Emma watched him quietly as he set the timer. The seventeen-year-old boy turned around to look at his girlfriend with a goofy smile on his face. "See? In about thirty minutes, we'll have an amazing pizza to eat that you helped make."

"If you say so," Emma said uncertainly. Peter just grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss against her cheek although he had to lean up a tiny bit to do so.

Emma had hit another small growth spurt in the past few months. She wasn't that much taller than Peter. Just an inch but it was enough for Tony and everyone else to tease him about. The height difference was only really noticeable when Emma was wearing heels. Peter was still certain that he was going to hit a growth spurt himself but she could tell the height difference honestly didn't bother him.

"You look really beautiful tonight," Peter told her just like he always did. It didn't matter if she put on a beautiful dress like the one she was wearing now, wearing her worn pajamas when he saw her in the morning at the compound, or right before they made love when Peter had just taken her clothes _off_. Emma told him to stop saying it just to say it. The words stopped holding their meaning after a while but Peter was adamant that he meant it. He couldn't help being so in love with her that every time he saw her, his heart raced a little more than it did when he wasn't looking at her. Peter wouldn't apologize for that.

"I think you look really handsome tonight," Emma said in response and it was true. He was wearing a blue long sleeved button down shirt that was a lot more formal than his usual t-shirts with stupid science puns on them. Emma appreciated that he put in extra effort to dress up for their anniversary dinner which was tonight.

"Your dress is so pretty," Peter gushed as he admired the dress she was wearing. Emma was always amused by his fascination with some of the clothing she wore. Sometimes he liked watching her pick out her outfit for the day whenever they were staying at the compound together. He watched her curiously as she went through her closet and picked out what she wanted to wear for the day.

Peter would sit intrigued as Emma pondered over her choices before ultimately picking one outfit over another. It was curious to him since Peter normally just threw on the first t-shirt and jeans he could get his hands on but Emma made him feel a bit more self-conscious. He didn't think she was careful with her clothing choices because she was a girl. He thought it was because she was Emma. Emma who was neat, careful, and meticulous with everything in her life. Why would picking out an outfit be anything different?

Peter liked watching her put on her make-up and doing her hair too. She never seemed to mind him watching her. After seeing each other naked multiple times, there wasn't a whole lot left to be shy about. Well, for Emma anyways. Peter still felt shy every time he was fully naked in front of her until she distracted him by doing something else.

However, there was something fascinating to Peter about Emma putting her make-up on. Not because he thought she looked any prettier. Her make-up made her look different but Peter didn't she was prettier than she already was. He just admired the way her hands worked and the process she went through.

"I'm probably going to get tomato sauce all over it," Emma told Peter with a small smile on her face. Peter was finally broken out of his thoughts from her remark. He frowned.

"I'll take it to the cleaners," Peter promised as he admired the sky blue colored sleeveless dress. It had a satin bodice while the pleated skirt seemed to flare out at her waist, the hem ending just above her knees. Peter would've been concerned about her getting cold but Emma was never cold. She said it had something to do with growing up in Siberia.

"Or you can just take it off me tonight," Emma told him as she flirted with her boyfriend. Peter blushed but he had to admit that anniversary sex had been something he had been looking forward to all day. Especially since his aunt had let him have the apartment for his anniversary dinner with Emma for a designated amount.

May made it clear that she knew what he would be up to tonight but she also made it clear that Emma couldn't spend the night. There was still boundaries she wanted to set for her nephew. She liked to think that she was a cool aunt that would rather be aware of her nephew's sex life than have him go behind her back. Eleven was the latest she would give the two of them and Peter was glad just to have that.

"May only gave us the apartment until eleven, Emma," Peter reminded her and Emma smiled at him.

"Well, we better make every minute count," Emma told him and Peter returned her smile before pressing his lips against hers. The kiss was short but sweet. Emma let herself feel contentment in Peter's arms. She had come a long way in this relationship from a year ago when she didn't know anything about being in a relationship with someone.

"Thank you for today, Peter," Emma said softly once they pulled apart.

She was, of course, referring to earlier when Peter had taken her to the zoo after school as part one of their anniversary. She had never been to the zoo before so Peter was adamant about taking her. Emma had wrinkled her nose in disgust at most animals but Peter was delighted to see her softer side when she laid eyes on a red panda. Peter nearly swooned at how she fawned over the adorable little creature. She denied it but Peter saw her.

"Don't mention it," Peter told her, giving her a fond look.

So far the anniversary was going really well. Peter and Emma had taken the day off from crime fighting. They left the zoo before briefly departing when they both went back to their own places to change for dinner. Emma had then walked to his apartment, ignoring the crazy looks she got for wearing the dress she was wearing in cold weather.

Peter greeted her when she arrived at the apartment with a warm, delighted smile and a bouquet of colorful flowers.

_"__I know how much you hate flowers but I had to. It's the rule for anniversary dinners."_

Peter told her that when he handed her the bouquet but Emma only smiled as she took the bouquet from him. She didn't say anything but she actually really appreciated the flowers. Emma didn't think she would ever be the type of girl to want flowers from her boyfriend but she loved them.

"I think the pizza might be ready," Peter said as he parted from her. Emma watched him go check the oven for the pizza as she admired the determination in his face. His eyebrows scrunched together as he opened the oven door and looked inside, observing the pizza to see if the crust was golden brown like the recipe said. Emma's gaze softened as she stared at Peter.

This seemed to be happening more and more lately.

Imagining a future with him someday.

Much to her surprise, she even imagined one in which they were married. She never imagined anything too extravagant. It's not like she was fantasizing about a wedding or anything weird. Emma had just found herself thinking about the small things.

For instance, her and Peter doing the same exact thing they were doing now except they were married. Peter would be in the kitchen getting dinner ready and Emma would be setting the table. They would then sit down for their meal and discuss their day.

This thought honestly terrified her.

Not because she was afraid of committing to Peter. Emma was fully committed to Peter and she always would be. However, the thought of someone like her getting married should've been laughable. Emma being someone's wife was a joke, right? She knew that was what Peter wanted her to be but could she honestly marry him someday?

Did she even deserve to?

People like her didn't get married.

She was just like her father and Natasha in a lot of ways yet Emma didn't see either of them getting married anytime soon. Even so, the more time she spent doing domestic stuff like this with Peter, the more she thought about marriage. Emma realized that it would only be a matter of time before she caved into Peter and married him. Whether it be a couple years from now or longer. Once she married him then she knew it wouldn't take him long to convince her to have children.

That was where she drew the line.

There was no way Emma was ever going to have children. Not only would it be endangering the children's lives if she had them but Emma was absolutely not cut out for motherhood. She barely remembered her mother and probably didn't have one maternal bone in her body.

What was worse was the fact that Emma had killed children during her time in Hydra.

She tried to block a lot out. It just made coping a bit easier but she remembered enough to know that she killed, at least, three kids. Two that were older than her and one who had been a few years younger. It sickened her to the core and Emma knew better than to bring it up to Peter. He would probably find some way to excuse it as he always did.

Peter could be judgmental when it came to a lot of people. He was a lot like Steve in that sense. People were good and bad. There wasn't really an in between but he always made an exception when it came to her. Just like Steve did. Peter loved her so much and Emma didn't want to disappoint him by telling him there was no way that she could ever be a mother.

Marriage and kids were things that Emma knew she would give him. It scared her because she thought that she would only be agreeing to those things because Peter wanted them and Emma never wanted to lose him. If she got married and had kids Emma wasn't sure if it would be because it was something she wanted or if it was something she would do in order to keep Peter.

It was funny if you thought about it.

Fictional superheroes had very creative and weird weaknesses. Superman's greatest weakness was kryptonite. However, Emma's greatest weakness was a person.

Peter Parker.

Emma was certain she would do anything for him and a year ago that had almost made her run for the hills instead of willingly letting herself fall in love with him. Now Emma realized that it was too late to run and she didn't want to. She was too selfish to ever leave him and Emma had grown so attached to him that she didn't even want to think about what she would do if anything were to ever happen to him.

This was why Emma knew there would come a day that Peter's jokes and wishful thinking about marriage and kids would no longer be off-handed remarks. There would come a day where he would look at her seriously and ask her for those things.

Emma just didn't know what she would tell him.

"It's ready!" Peter announced happily and Emma broke out of her thoughts. She watched as her boyfriend took the pizza out of the oven and set it on the kitchen counter. Emma smiled softly at the excited grin that had come over his face. It always seemed to melt her heart whenever he got excited over something so insignificant as a pizza. He started cutting the pizza in slices with a kitchen knife.

"It looks so good," Peter said proudly as he was busy at work cutting the pizza.

"It _smells_ so good," Emma complimented and Peter looked up at her with a smile.

"Well, you helped make it," Peter said in response and Emma rolled her eyes but she still looked amused nonetheless.

"If you say so, Parker," Emma told him before Peter started shooing her away.

"Go sit down. I don't want you doing anything. Today's your day," Peter ordered her and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I might be mistaken but I'm pretty sure a couple's anniversary usually involves two people. Not one," Emma said sarcastically and Peter playfully glared at her.

"Well, I'm obviously the more romantic one so I took it upon myself to make today the most romantic day any girl's ever had. If you had it your way then we would be having Thai food over a couple unconscious drug dealers in an alley tonight," Peter argued and Emma just shrugged.

"Sounds like fun to me," Emma told him and Peter rolled his eyes. "Since you're doing all the hard work for dinner, I guess I'll be pulling all the weight during sex tonight."

Much to Emma's surprise, Peter didn't blush when she said that. In fact, he gave her a cocky smirk. Emma got a bit excited because she knew that was Peter's flirting smirk. He was going to flirt with her which always got Emma in the mood.

"I think you'll be happy to know that I've got a couple more surprises up my sleeves for tonight. Just you wait," Peter said flirtatiously and now it was Emma's turn to blush from his confident tone. "That's why I'm saving room for dessert."

"Is that why I smelled cake when I first walked in here?" Emma said, probably for the first time not understanding a sexual innuendo. To her own credit, she actually learned a long time ago not to expect sexual innuendos from Peter. If he made one, it was usually an accident. Peter continued to smirk at her, looking very mischievous.

"I was actually talking about my other dessert," Peter told her and Emma looked at him in surprise. Peter then casually turned away as he started putting the pizza slices on their plates and Emma reluctantly sat at the table he set up. She couldn't believe he said that but it seemed that her boyfriend was full of surprises these days.

Emma took a look at the table he set up for them. It was the same kitchen table that he and May had dinner on together except Peter had thrown a table cloth over it while decorating it with candles. She honestly didn't know what was up with him and candles. First it was lighting a bunch of candles for their first time together and now it was a candle lit anniversary dinner. Emma wondered if he just liked fire.

Maybe her boyfriend was a secret pyromaniac.

"Here's your plate," Peter said happily as he set her plate with pizza in front of her on the table. He pressed a chaste kiss against her forehead before setting his own plate down in front of him. There was also a bottle of strawberry daquiri mocktail next to the candles that Peter immediately picked up and started pouring in their respective wine glasses. Emma watched his hand shake as he poured the drink and she knew he was nervous. She found it cute that he could still get so nervous around her. Even after a year of dating.

"Thank you," Emma told him quietly before he finished with the drinks and took the seat across from her. Peter took a moment to look at his girlfriend in appreciation. He honestly didn't know how he got so lucky to have dated her for a whole entire year. Peter just hoped there would be many more years to come.

"Um…you're welcome," Peter mumbled as he blushed under her gaze. Emma felt a bit nervous herself as she looked down at her plate. She didn't really know anniversary dinners worked.

"I can't believe it's been a whole year," Emma remarked as she looked back up at him. "It's weird because I feel like it happened so fast at the same time that I feel like we've been together for a lot longer than that."

"I feel the same way. We've been together a year and I can't wait to celebrate hundreds of more anniversaries with you," Peter told her and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Hundreds?" She questioned and Peter blushed again before nodding.

"Well, I'm pretty your super soldier serum and my spider bite lengthened our life spans. Not to mention we're going to grow old together so yes…hundreds," Peter said, sounding very sure of himself. Emma just laughed in amusement at her boyfriend.

"Old people are so gross, Peter," She told him and Peter just shrugged.

"Well, I guess we'll just grow old and gross together," Peter said, not seeming bothered by her statement. "Now try the pizza. I want to know how it tastes."

"Why don't you try it?" Emma questioned and Peter shook his head.

"Because I care about your opinion more," Peter said as though it were obvious. Emma only rolled her eyes at him before complying with his demand and taking a bite of the pizza. She was immediately hit with an abundance of flavor.

Emma never had a homemade pizza before.

Sure, she had pizza from those amazing pizza places Darcy always ordered from but Emma hadn't had a homemade pizza that someone actually made and Peter had really gone the extra mile. He made the dough the night before although he admitted it took him a couple tries but when you got down to it…it was really just chemistry which was something Peter was good at.

"Peter, this is amazing," Emma said in surprise. She wasn't surprised that he made something that tasted good. She was just surprised that any existing food could taste this amazing. The blonde then took another bite as her boyfriend's entire face lit up with happiness. Happiness that Emma enjoyed the pizza he worked really hard in making.

"Really?" Peter asked and Emma nodded.

"This is the best pizza I've ever had," Emma declared confidently and Peter blushed.

"I don't know. Cattaneo's has really good pizza," Peter said, obviously fishing for another compliment and Emma gave him an amused look.

"Well, Parker's has even better pizza. I'm one hundred percent positive about that and I would know since I eat a lot of pizza," Emma told him and Peter laughed.

"I know. I made one pizza just for you. I'm not even sure if that's enough," Peter joked before recalling a funny memory. "Remember that one time a couple months ago when Mr. Stark ordered seven pizzas at the compound? You and your dad ate five pizzas just by yourselves."

Peter looked back at Emma, expecting her to laugh with him but he noticed that the smile had fallen off her face and was replaced with a frown. Peter felt concern wash over him by the now unsure look on his girlfriend's face. Had he said something wrong? Shit…it was just like him to say the wrong thing and not even know. Their anniversary dinner had barely begun and Peter had already screwed it up.

"What is it?" Peter asked worriedly. Emma paused for a minute before putting her slice of pizza down. She looked back at him nervously.

"Do you really think I eat a lot?" Emma asked hesitantly and Peter felt confused by her question.

"Well, you do eat a lot, Emma. You have breakfast like Michael Phelps. Maybe even a bigger breakfast than Michael Phelps," Peter said nonchalantly and Emma blushed, immediately feeling embarrassed. She wasn't the type to get embarrassed easily but somehow only Peter Parker could bring that side out of her. "I always pack you three sandwiches for lunch. Everyone knows that you eat a lot. It's a known fact."

"You don't find it um…unattractive?" Emma asked and Peter immediately felt like this was a test.

There was a lot of things that Emma made feel like a test. Peter didn't think it was on purpose or anything. Despite how arrogant, cold, and calculating she acted around others, Peter knew Emma was very sensitive on the inside and had a very low self-esteem. She took things to heart and let those things make her feel bad about herself. Peter wanted her to love herself just as much as he did.

"Unattractive?" Peter questioned and Emma nodded.

"That I eat so much? You don't think it's gross?" Emma asked him and Peter furrowed his eyebrows. It was clear he was still confused about where this was going.

"Why would I think it's gross?" Peter asked her and Emma shrugged.

"Most girls don't eat as much as I do," Emma told him and Peter realized that he made a mistake. He knew Emma was already having insecurities about their height difference. For some reason, she believed that their height difference bothered him when in reality it wasn't the height difference. It was the amount of teasing from Mr. Stark, Rhodey, and Mr. Barnes that annoyed him. Peter really wished they would realize that it wasn't him the teasing bothered. It was Emma.

"Emma, your metabolism is a lot faster than mine. It scientifically makes sense that you eat a lot more than I do," Peter tried to tell her reassuringly. He then gave her a smile. "Besides…I think it's cool that my girlfriend can eat two pizzas by herself."

"Peter…" Emma trailed off, blushing. Peter just laughed.

"I thought you had a big appetite and then I watched all the food your dad and Steve ate before he and the others left," Peter said in amazement, shaking his head. "I don't know how Mr. Stark could keep food in stock when you and Steve were living in the tower with the others."

"Don't forget Thor," Emma reminded him, smiling at the memories she had of living in the tower with the Avengers when the Avengers were still together. "Thor could eat more than Steve and I combined. I'm pretty sure Steve, Papa, and I equals one Thor food wise."

"Oh my god. Imagine if there was you, Thor, Steve, and your dad all living together," Peter remarked and Emma laughed. "All that food…"

"I'm sorry that you're going to have to spend a fortune on keeping me fed in the future, Parker," Emma joked and Peter felt his heart skip a beat as it always did whenever Emma discussed the future with him. She never typically talked about the future concerning the two of them. Mostly a future with her father.

_"__Someday Papa and I will travel to Edinburgh. They have a writer's museum there, you know."_

_"__Papa and I should play laser tag in the future. I bet I would win."_

_"__I'm never going to put Papa in a nursing home. I don't like old people but I don't think I would mind taking care of him in his old age."_

Then there was the worst statement Emma made about their future.

_"__I don't know if I'd want us to live in the city when we're older. I think I'd rather live somewhere more quiet," _Emma told him nonchalantly. Peter remembered feeling delighted at her remark about their future together. That is, until she finished that sentence. _"__You, me, AND Papa."_

Peter immediately felt horror at her saying that the two of them and her father would be living together. He tried envisioning a life where he lived with Bucky Barnes permanently. So far Peter only had to live with him on weekends but he didn't think he could live with him full time.

This would be a lifetime of Bucky Barnes watching every move he made. Practically breathing down his neck every chance he got because that's what he did at the compound. The man basically stalked him at the compound to make sure that he wasn't up to no good with Emma. This was why Peter happily buried himself in his work in the lab with Mr. Stark because that's the one place Mr. Barnes never followed him to.

Peter couldn't even hold Emma's fucking hand without Mr. Barnes scowling at him.

In the months before Emma's father had arrived at the compound, they used to have their weekend movie nights. However, now her father tagged along on their movie nights. While this annoyed Peter, probably Mr. Barnes too, Emma seemed oblivious to their dislike of each other. She seemed happy resting her head on Peter's lap and her legs on her father's lap unaware of how her father glared at her boyfriend every ten minutes during the movie and Peter's discomfort at Mr. Barnes' cold looks.

So when Mr. Barnes showed interest in Darcy, Peter was probably their number one fan. Mostly because he hoped that they would fall madly in love with each other and someday Mr. Barnes would go live with her instead of with Peter and Emma. Peter wanted Emma to be able to include her father in her life but he absolutely did not want to live with the unreasonably suspicious man for the rest of his life.

So Peter was absolutely in favor of Emma's dad dating.

"Well, if the future's with you then I don't mind at all," Peter said. She should've been disgusted at how cheesy and lame he was but if anything, Emma just found him adorable.

"You're an idiot," Emma told him although she couldn't hide the smile on her face. She never could hide her smiles if Peter was around. Honestly, Emma wasn't even sure if she actually tried to hide her smile when he was there. There wasn't a reason to.

* * *

"So one quick surprise before we exchange presents," Peter told his girlfriend excitedly once they finished their meal. She almost laughed at his enthusiastic nature which was nearly the opposite of her. He eagerly lifted the lid off the plastic cake stand he had on the kitchen table they were seated at. Emma looked down only to see a heart shaped chocolate cake sitting there with pink frosting messily decorating the entirety of it. The frosting was in messy and uneven layers with rainbow sprinkles thrown on it.

_Happy First Anniversary_

_Emma & Peter_

_12/11/2017_

Emma smiled at the very neat icing on top of the frosting with the written message. Peter blushed, chewing on the inside of his cheek nervously as he watched Emma's reaction carefully. It was almost as if he were afraid that she would hate it. Emma thought that was silly. She couldn't hate anything Peter made.

"Aunt May wrote the message," Peter admitted reluctantly. "I didn't think you would be able to read it if I wrote it. I baked the cake though…and put all the frosting and sprinkles on. Baking's not that hard. It's really just chemistry and I think for a first attempt it's not-"

"Peter, it's perfect. Thank you," Emma told him, giving him a warm smile. Peter felt floored by her reaction and returned her smile, feeling relief wash over him. He thought Emma would make fun of the cake but he should've known better. It wasn't like Emma to hurt his feelings or anything like that.

"I'll cut your piece," Peter told her and Emma nodded.

"Great and meanwhile, I'll go get your present. I think I left it on the couch," Emma told him and Peter just smiled shyly at her as she left to go get his present.

When she left, he frowned as he momentarily glanced at the present he currently had hidden underneath the table by his feet. He started worrying if Emma got him a big and expensive gift. Peter went the homemade route this time because he wanted to give Emma something thoughtful and heartfelt but what if she went and got him something really nice and all he had to give her was something he made himself? Peter didn't want to look like he didn't spend any money on her. It was only moments like these that Peter truly started doubting himself.

"It looks really good, Peter," Emma told him as she sat back across from him at the table. She tucked the neatly wrapped present under the table right next to his. He eyed the powder blue colored gift wrap curiously before sliding Emma's plate over to her before he started cutting his own piece of cake.

"It better be. I made it from scratch…or from Betty Crocker's box of cake mix. Same thing, really," Peter joked and Emma laughed.

"I can't really judge your cake baking skills. Me and a kitchen don't mix. I think everyone knows that by how," Emma joked back and Peter joined in on her laughter. She dug her fork into the chocolate cake which was covered in layers of frosting. For some reason, she loved the cake even though it was ugly. Emma kind of loved how ugly and unappealing it looked. Maybe that was the true effect of being in love. You saw the world through rose colored lenses. Suddenly it was the most beautiful cake in the same instance. She took a bite of the cake and moaned at the chocolatey goodness. Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat from Emma's moan.

He suddenly just wanted to skip to her being his dessert for the night like he suggested before. Peter didn't mind if that meant skipping cake and presents.

"Don't do that, Emma," Peter whined and Emma just smirked at him after swallowing her bite of cake.

"Why not, Peter? Something bothering you?" She teased and Peter glared playfully at her. She sure loved torturing him. That was for sure.

"You know exactly what you're doing," Peter accused and Emma just laughed before shaking her head.

"We can have fun later. Let's just exchange presents now," Emma told him, pausing in her eating to reach for the present under the table. Peter followed suit. "Then after presents, we can have all the fun we want."

"Not all night though," Peter complained as he pouted. Emma scoffed.

"Just be grateful we're not celebrating our anniversary at the compound," Emma reminded him and Peter immediately shut up at that. "Papa would be a cock blocker all night."

"It's only because he hates me," Peter told her and Emma rolled her eyes. Like always, she didn't seem to believe her father hated him. Of course not, Peter thought bitterly to himself, because Bucky Barnes is the perfect angel. He can do absolutely no wrong. Peter didn't hate that his girlfriend adored her father so much. He was actually happy that she was close to someone other than just him. However, Emma always seemed to take her father's side in things. No matter what.

_"__Emma, your dad stole my lunch. I know it was him."_

_"__Peter, don't be silly. It was probably just a misunderstanding. It's like you think he did it on purpose."_

_"__Emma, your dad threw all my homework on the floor."_

_"__Peter, the entire table was covered in it. What do you expect? You should be more organized. Other people use the table too."_

_"__Emma, your dad flipped me off. He actually flipped me off for literally no reason."_

_"__Peter, Papa's a mature grown man. What reason would he have to flip you off? He's beyond that kind of childishness."_

Peter didn't mind Emma's closeness to her father but he often became annoyed that she always took her father's side. If her father made a rude comment about Peter, Emma always defended Peter but on the other hand she always excused her father's behavior.

Papa's just lonely.

Papa's is still getting used to being around people.

Papa's been through a lot.

Peter was finding it harder and harder to feel sorry for the man who nearly always glared at him. If this was Mr. Barnes tolerating him, Peter didn't want to think about what Mr. Barnes not tolerating him looked like. Probably like that day Mr. Barnes caught him in Emma's room and nearly choked him to death.

Honestly, Peter really tried to get along with Bucky for Emma's sake. He tried the olive branch thing by going out of his way to get Mr. Barnes coffee in the morning but all he got was a grumbled thanks in response. Peter tried starting conversation with the man too but to no avail. Mr. Barnes gave him one worded responses each time.

"Papa doesn't hate you, Peter. It just takes him forever before he can warm up to a new person," Emma explained although she still didn't seem to believe Peter when he said her father didn't like him. "He still hasn't warmed up to Sam."

"He thinks I'm some guy intent on sleeping with you," Peter complained loudly and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"But you are some guy intent on sleeping with me," Emma pointed out and Peter sighed.

"Yeah but he's thinks that's all I want. He thinks I want to use you for sex or something," Peter told her and Emma smirked, not taking him seriously.

"Maybe _I'm_ just using _you_ for sex. Guess he never thought of it that way," Emma said teasingly and Peter rolled his eyes but smirked back at her nonetheless.

"Well, you can use me all you want tonight," Peter retorted, surprising Emma by so confidently coming on to her. Emma blushed because she still wasn't used to Peter giving her a taste of her own medicine. She cleared her throat awkwardly and Peter felt an ego boost from the way she blushed.

"Let's just exchange presents, Parker. Stop fucking me with your pretty brown eyes," Emma told him and Peter still smirked at her but reached for his present to give her nonetheless. She then got up from her seat and walked over to him, promptly taking another seat but this time her seat was his lap.

Peter immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and held her more securely to him. She noticed that he didn't get as bashful as he used to when she first started sitting on his lap. Back when they first got together, it was nerve wracking whenever she did something abrupt and surprising like that. Don't get him wrong. Peter's heart still skipped a beat whenever she so much as slipped her hand into his without him initiating it but it was more comforting having her this close to him than it was nerve wracking. He felt like nothing could ever hurt him whenever she was this close and the rest of the world didn't matter. Not Spider-Man, Not Viper, Not any bad guys, and not even the Avengers. Just the two of them and nothing else.

"Here," Emma said as she practically shoved the present in the hand that wasn't attached to the arm that was holding her. She was never good at romance stuff. Peter said she was romantic where it counted but Emma thought that was bullshit.

"Thank you, Emma," Peter said sarcastically although he was always amused by her gruff manner. He subsequently handed her his own present in a much more gentle manner than she did.

"You open yours first," Emma told him and Peter obliged but only because he wanted to see her reaction to his present last. There was a card tucked underneath his present and a card taped to his gift wrapped present for her.

"Wait, I want us to look at the cards first. The cards always come first. That's what May used to tell me," Peter told her and Emma rolled her eyes playfully.

"Fine, I'll read your card, Parker. I just hope you didn't write me something lame like a love poem or something. That'll make me less inclined to have sex with you tonight," Emma told him although she honestly didn't think she would've minded a love poem from Peter…not that she would ever admit that aloud. It would make her almost as uncool as Steve.

"Well, not a love poem. I'm not exactly good with wording stuff. You know that," Peter said as he watched Emma open the envelope containing the card which was attached to the present. He bit his lip nervously.

Emma immediately pulled out a bright red card adorned with hearts which said "Happy Anniversary" in big letters across the front. There were two cute puppies on the front of the car, sharing a plate of spaghetti(probably a reference to _Lady and the Tramp)_. It was probably the most bright and colorful card Peter could find. Emma smiled because it was so Peter. She opened the card and read the printed message on the front, "Happy Anniversary. Here's to many more. I woof you to the moon and back" before reading the message Peter wrote underneath it.

_"__Emma,_

_I can't believe it's been a year since we started dating. It feels like it's been multiple years which is a good thing because that means when we have our fiftieth anniversary, it'll feel like twice that and the more I get with you the better. You're probably tired of me saying this by now because I tell you this, like, five times a day but I love you. I'm completely crazy about you, Emma Rogers, and that's a known fact. Everyone knows and I probably annoy them to death because I can't stop thinking and talking about you. Mr. Stark actually made you a forbidden topic in the lab last month because I talked about you too much and he got annoyed. But how could I not talk about how well you did on your physics semester final? We worked super hard studying for your final together even though you hate physics and have a hard time with it but you actually got an A. That was totally worth bragging about and Mr. Stark was being unfair. Anyways…my point is that I'm totally in love with you._

_I know we got off to a rough start when we first met. I mean, we beat each other up the first time we met but that's a good story to tell our future kids, right? I never would've thought we'd be in the position we are now way back then. Honestly, I was a little terrified of you. You've always been a little rough around the edges but inside you're as cuddly as a teddy bear. Mostly because you surprisingly love to cuddle. Ned didn't believe me when I told him that but it's true. _

_I'm starting to run out of space on this card so I'll sum it up. You're totally the love of my life and I'll be the luckiest guy in Queens(probably the universe) every single anniversary we have because it means just one more year you decided to stick with me. _

_To the coolest, smartest, craziest, prettiest, funniest, most badass person I've ever met. Love you so much. _

_Love, Peter_

_P.S. I wanted to put sexiest girl too but I didn't want you to feel like I only valued you because of sex or whatever. So know that I definitely think you're the hottest girl on this planet too and I can't believe you're with me half the time. Like, I honestly think there must be a screw or two loose inside your head because it literally makes no sense to me but I'm happy there might be a couple screws loose. Because you're stuck with me forever, Rogers. _

Emma felt her eyes welling up with tears as she suddenly felt overcome with emotions reading Peter's anniversary card. Peter watched in surprise and concern at the emotional state of his girlfriend. She sniffled as she processed what was basically a love letter. A part of Emma cursed herself because she was totally soft now and it was all Peter's fault. God, she was going to become like Steve, wasn't she? It wouldn't be long before she started giving motivational, heart-felt speeches, sharing her optimistic thoughts with everyone, lecturing Tony, and scolding everyone for swearing. Just imagining that was enough to make Emma throw up despite how much she loved her grandfather.

Stupid Parker and his romantic ways.

"What's wrong, Emma?" Peter asked worriedly and Emma just shook her head.

"I don't deserve you," Emma said softly as she wrapped her arms around Peter and buried her face in his neck, the present and card still in her lap. Peter chuckled.

"No, it's me who doesn't deserves you," Peter retorted and Emma shook her head, her face still buried in his neck although she had to lean down uncomfortably to do so since she was taller than him and not to mention seated on his lap but she didn't care.

"You're too good for me, Parker. You love me more than I deserve," Emma told him sincerely as she remained in his arms, not wanting to ever part from him.

Peter rubbed her back soothingly. He knew he was lucky to see this softer and more vulnerable side to Emma because it was a side she didn't let many see. It was Emma with all her walls down and Emma without the fear of being hurt or taken advantage of.

The others didn't believe Peter when he told them how sweet, cuddly, warm, and sincere Emma really was but that was only because she didn't let them see that side of her. Only the hardened, suspicious, bitter, cynical, and sarcastic side she reserved for everyone that wasn't Peter, her father, and Steve. She still kept Tony at a relative distance although she was gradually warming up to him more and more as time went on. Peter only recently got her to admit that she would be sad if something bad happened to Tony which was basically a heartfelt declaration of love coming from Emma.

Either way, Peter felt lucky to see the real Emma. The Emma that wasn't distant or shrouded in mystery. There were still times Peter wasn't quite sure what went on in that head of hers but that was just Emma's unpredictable nature. Not because she was hiding from him.

"You deserve all the love in the world and I'll never stop giving it to you," Peter whispered softly and Emma pulled back to look him in the eyes.

It was a known fact that Peter could be very clingy at times. He always wanted to be where she was and to just be with her period but Emma never minded because she was clingy too. The two teenagers were obsessed with each other. They weren't sure if everything felt stronger and more dramatic because they were teenagers or because of their enhancements but they did know that it was the way they felt and there was no use in ignoring the pull they felt to each other at all times.

"You're way more romantic than me and thoughtful. You should see the card I got you," Emma complained, feeling like a terrible girlfriend because she wasn't nearly as thoughtful and romantic as her boyfriend. "It's terrible. Like, really awful. You wrote a full on love letter about how much I mean to you and I didn't write anything as meaningful."

To be honest, Emma had no idea how to treat her and Peter's anniversary. Never had she come across anything that stumped her so much in her life. She had no idea what to do or what to get him. Emma even became so desperate that she asked Tony for advice. TONY. She actually asked Tony Stark for advice which was something she previously promised herself to never do. The billionaire teased her and she came so close to punching him in his stupid goatee'd face when he told her to get a funny but cute card if she wasn't comfortable with the corny stuff.

_"__I don't know how to talk about my feelings either, Mini Cap, so I just get Pep the funny, goofy cards. She pretends she hates it but I guess the thought does count, after all, because she's happy that I at least made an effort," Tony explained to Emma when she reluctantly came to him for advice. Tony was the only person at the compound in an actual successful and committed relationship, after all. "I'm sure Peter will love anything you get him. The kid worships the ground you work on. You could wrap a potato in gift wrap and he'd think it was the best present in the whole goddamn world."_

Of course, Emma then couldn't resist her daily tormenting of her godfather so she inquired about what he thought about lingerie as an anniversary present. Tony quickly kicked her out of the lab after that with the most uncomfortable look she had ever seen on his face. Emma had never felt more proud of herself than making Tony uncomfortable. The men in her life were so weird about her and sex. It was hilarious.

Still…Emma was beginning to think she messed up. Why did she decide to take advice from the guy who got his fiancée a giant stuffed bunny for Christmas?

"It's awful, Peter. I don't even want to give it to you anymore. You said all these beautiful things and my card's just hideous," Emma complained, trying to snatch the card back from him. "I don't want you to see it."

"Well, I want to see the card you've given me," Peter told her sincerely, keeping the card out of Emma's clutches. She pouted. "I know I'll love it because it's from you."

"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you," Emma muttered as Peter began to open the envelope and his eyes caught sight of the front of the card right away. It was bright and colorful…that was for sure. Peter stared at the cartoon image in surprise. The image on the front of the card showed a very graphic cartoon of two naked old people. The old woman was apparently holding up the old man's penis and the old man was holding up the old woman's boobs. The caption was, _"Happy Anniversary. May we always support each other."_

Emma blushed as she watched Peter's shocked reaction to the card. He then swallowed hard before he opened the card and saw the generic "Happy Anniversary" message printed on the inside with Emma's own handwritten message underneath.

_Parker, _

_If you hate this card, it's Tony fault. I stupidly sought advice from him even though everything inside of me screamed, "Don't do it!". It's all on him and not me._

_You're honestly probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm really not lying when I say that. This old lady dropped her groceries on the street the other day and I actually helped her. Me as in Emma Rogers actually helped an old lady with no incentive from you or Steve to do it. That's progress and I think it's because you make me want to be a better person which is a good thing. _

_When I first met you, I thought you were really annoying, nosy, nice, immature, weirdly obsessed with Tony, and a little bit of a pussy if I'm being perfectly honest. Now those are all things I love about you. Except the Tony thing. I still think that's weird and you have a lot of daddy issues you should bring up to Dr. Wallis. _

_Thank you for being an amazing boyfriend, best friend, and just overall partner in life. I'm super grateful to have you in my life and you've been so supportive of me through everything. You don't know how much that means to me. Most people would've given up on me a long time ago so never think that I don't appreciate how you've put up with me for so long. I know I never make it easy._

_I love you more than you know._

_-Emma_

_P.S. Just because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, still doesn't mean that I'll marry you or have your dorky ass kids. So try and get that through your obnoxiously, thick skull, Spider-Twerp. _

"You hate it, don't you?" Emma questioned, still afraid of Peter's reaction. She knew it was kind of a disgusting card and not nearly as romantic as Peter's. He was way better at expressing his feelings than Emma was. She had been raised to hide her feelings or to just not have them so now, even with her freedom, it was difficult for her to try and express her feelings in appropriate ways. "I knew it. It's terrible and really gross. I'm just not romantic like you. I'm not good at declaring my undying love and all that weird stuff."

"Emma, I love it," Peter finally said, trying to put a stop to her worrying. He closed the card and gave her a sincere smile. Emma looked at her boyfriend suspiciously.

"No, you don't. You're just saying that because you're being nice," Emma mumbled as she didn't want to believe Peter actually liked it. Peter shook his head as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her more securely to him.

"I love it because it's you," Peter said before glancing back at the card. "Granted, that it's pretty disgusting and all. I don't even know where you got a card like this but it's amazing. As for the message, I think it's really romantic. It's actually what you would say and I can also read between the lines, Emma. I know you love me and that's all that matters. I wasn't asking you write me a love song like John Legend or anything."

"You don't hate it?" Emma asked in a small voice. Peter smiled before shaking his head.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I love it," Peter reassured her and Emma smiled back at him. "Now don't try and question it again. Okay? I would never lie to you."

"Okay," Emma said, seeming satisfied with his answer. Peter then smirked at her as a thought came across his mind.

"You know, I think the couple in the picture are married so by giving me this card you basically agreed to marry me," Peter told her smugly and Emma looked at him in surprise before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"They're not married," Emma argued and Peter just kept smirking at her in that annoying way he always smirked at her whenever he became confident that she would one day accept his marriage proposal..

"Look, they're both wearing wedding rings," Peter pointed out and Emma noticed that he was right. Funny…she hadn't even noticed that before.

"It's not my fault that I didn't notice that," Emma argued, annoyed at Peter's smugness. "Parker, I didn't pick out the card because I subconsciously want to marry you. Don't be an idiot and make this into something it isn't."

"I thought you were super observant? I thought nothing got past you," Peter teased and Emma glared at him. "I think you saw those old people and their rings so you decided to get that card to put the idea in my head. Should I start looking for a ring, Emma? Do you want a public, grand gesture of a proposal or maybe something more intimate and private?"

"Parker, if you propose to me in a public place, I'll dump your ass. I don't care if I humiliate you in front of everyone. I'll still say no," Emma grumbled and Peter looked absolutely devious as he continued to smirk at her.

"So you'll say yes if it's a private proposal?" Peter questioned and Emma, who was often so full of wit and smart ass remarks, finally didn't seem to have anything to say. "Should I get on my knee?"

"Do that and someone's not getting laid tonight," Emma retorted but Peter still seemed confident. He shrugged.

"I think you mean that two people won't get laid tonight. I'm not the only one who enjoys sex in this relationship. I think we both know that," Peter so calmly and Emma looked back at him challengingly.

"Except I can channel my sexual frustration into art. What are you going to channel yours into? Your hand and porn that has some blonde that looks like me but with bigger tits?" Emma threw back at him and Peter finally realized that there was no beating Emma. He almost had her with his last remark and like always, she comes through and surprises him with a witty retort. Emma always seemed to have the last word.

"I don't watch porn," Peter said, blushing as he suddenly didn't seem so smug anymore. Emma raised an eyebrow in doubt. "Well, anymore. My memory's much better as it turns out and I also have that picture-"

"Picture?" Emma questioned when Peter stopped himself and he looked really embarrassed at this point. He shyly avoided her gaze. Emma still was in awe at how her boyfriend could still be shy about things. This is the same guy who last week fucked her against her bedroom door. Emma didn't know how Peter could do that and then still be shy about jacking off to the memories of their times together.

"I have a picture of you from that day at the lake house when we went swimming," Peter reluctantly told her as Emma watched him curiously. "You wore that really cute bathing suit and everything. Well, I have the picture and I-"

"You don't have to explain it to me, Parker. I get what you mean," Emma told him, pretending to be disgusted although she didn't mind. She preferred it to him looking at a picture of some random celebrity.

"So um…do you want to open presents now?" Peter asked her, still blushing from actually admitting to doing that. He just really wanted to change the subject at this point. Emma smiled and nodded, thoroughly amused by her boyfriend's antics as always.

"Okay," Emma told him as Peter eagerly started unwrapping the present Emma got him. To Peter's surprise, it appeared to be a knife. Peter stared at the object in surprise. Emma bit her lip nervously as she watched Peter's reaction. Maybe he'd hate it.

"I know I got you one for your birthday last year but I made this one," Emma told him and Peter looked at her in surprise.

"You made it?" He asked her and Emma nodded.

"Well, Papa helped me a lot. He's really good at making knives so he helped," Emma explained to Peter. He carefully examined the knife, taking note of the colorful handle that resembled the colors of his Spider-Man suit and the blade that had his name engraved into it.

"This is so cool. How do you even make a knife? I didn't know you could just make a knife," Peter said and Emma still seemed apprehensive. After the weird card she gave him, she was worried that maybe she was the worst gift giver known to mankind.

"You like it?" Emma asked him and Peter smiled lovingly at her.

"I love it, Emma," Peter told her honestly, seeming more than happy with the knife. Not that he liked weapons like knives or guns but he felt amazed that Emma actually made the knife. She really took homemade gifts to the next level. Peter loved it because Emma made it herself.

"You're not just saying that because-" She started to say but Peter interrupted her.

"I'm saying it because only Emma Rogers would not only get me a knife as a gift but make it herself," Peter said and Emma was relieved he seemed happy about the gift. "It's one hundred percent you. I love it."

"Now you have two knives. You can start a collection," Emma told him, sounding optimistic for once. Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Do you have a knife collection?"

"I used to but Tony found it and confiscated it," Emma informed her boyfriend as if her having a knife collection was no big deal. "Something about him not being able to sleep at night knowing that I had twenty knives under my bed. He said I could have them back when he's dead. He's already, like, seventy so shouldn't be long now. Rich people get gout so that shaves a couple years off his life span too."

"You're crazy," Peter told her in response and Emma locked eyes with him, a small smirk on her face as Peter started to grin at her. "But I love you even more for it."

"Put the knife away. I want to open your present," Emma said excitedly as she looked down at the sloppily wrapped present in her hands. Peter eyed the knife still in his hand cautiously.

"Where do I put it. You know, since it's sharp and all," Peter asked her and Emma didn't seem to care that much.

"You can put it on the table. It's just a knife, Parker," Emma told him, finding it amusing how carefully he handled the knife as if he thought it would jump out and stab him like magic. "It's not going to hop up and cut that pretty face of yours."

"Ha ha. Just open the present, already," Peter said, starting to get annoyed with her teasing. Emma just smiled in satisfaction after getting on her boyfriend's nerves. She always loved pushing his buttons. She would annoy him and then he would pretend to be angry. It was their weird form of foreplay.

"Fine. Don't get all pissy with me," Emma told him as she started opening the present, ripping apart the giftwrap in the process. She finally got to the present underneath. At first, she was confused because she thought it was a book. She would've been fine with a book since Peter knew how much she loved to read but it wasn't what she had been expecting until she noticed it was a different sort of book.

There was no title on the front of the bright blue colored book that was decorated with metallic silver and gold stars.

Instead there was a picture of both herself and Peter on the front of the book. It was the picture from their trip to London last year. The picture that Ned took of them, in front of Big Ben, locked in a romantic embrace. Emma hadn't really realized how happy she looked until that moment. It was strange because it struck her how much she looked like a happy, normal teenage girl. If a stranger saw this then they would never guess her traumatic past or superhero alter-ego.

They would just see a happy teenage girl completely in love.

"It's a photo album," Peter explained to Emma quietly as he watched for her reaction. "I'm not really good with arts and crafts but Aunt May helped me make it. Mr. Stark gave me some pictures from when you were a baby to go in there too. I annoyed your dad so much that he helped me find some pictures too from Steve's childhood too."

Sure enough, when Emma opened the book, it was filled with pictures upon pictures. Emma was left surprised by the first few pictures. There were old pictures of Steve and her father back when they were growing up as Emma could tell from Steve's pre-serum small size.

Emma was left surprised by the picture she had never seen before of her grandfather and grandmother together. She gasped and stared in awe at the black and white photograph.

Her grandmother was wearing a stunning dress that hugged her figure just right while Steve was in his military uniform. They looked happy as they smiled for the camera and it was weird to Emma because she had never actually seen them together before. Sure, she heard stories but she had never seen an actual picture of them together.

"I had a lot of trouble finding that picture. I didn't even know it existed until your dad mentioned your grandparents having their picture taken at some bar in France during the war," Peter explained to Emma who stared at the picture of her grandparents in awe. "Mr. Stark said he remembered seeing a picture like that at your grandmother's house at some point in his life. He and your dad actually worked together to locate it. Mr. Stark eventually found it at the old Stark Mansion. Apparently his dad had a copy of it."

"I didn't even know it existed. I wonder if Steve even remembers?" Emma said softly to herself as she just stared at the picture. Her eyes lingered on the picture for a moment. She took note of the look of adoration Steve sent Peggy Carter's way as she smiled at the camera. Steve's gaze wasn't even on the camera. He only had eyes for one person which was entirely obvious to Emma. She stared at the picture for another second before she glanced over the next ones.

There were pictures of her dad, her biological one, during his youth as well as pictures of her mother during her childhood.

"Mr. Barton sent me a lot of pictures of your mom when I emailed him. He was really happy to," Peter added and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"You email Barton?" Emma asked in amusement and Peter nodded happily.

"Ned lost his shit when I told him I've been emailing Hawkeye," Peter said proudly and Emma rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless as she returned her attention to the book. She started noticing pictures of Peter's family too. Pictures of his parents when they were young and then when they got married. Pictures of May and his late uncle as well.

The photo album started going through Emma and Peter's childhood.

She knew there wasn't a lot of pictures from when she was a child but Peter seemed to have found a lot from before Hydra took her. There were pictures of her pregnant mother, her mother holding her in a hospital bed with her dad looking adoringly down at her, and Emma as a baby dressed in a Easter Bunny outfit which she knew Peter would probably tease her a lot for in the future.

"Mr. Stark didn't want me putting this one in there. He hid it from me but I took it back. Don't tell him," Peter said as he pointed to a polaroid of a younger Tony Stark with a revolted look on his face as he held baby Emma away from him. "Your mom was really funny. She wrote, _"The day Emma threw up on her godfather. Best daughter ever! XOXO"_ on the back."

"Not much has changed. Tony still makes me want to puke sometimes," Emma joked although she stared in fascination at the pictures of her and Tony before the Hydra stuff went down. Tony told her that he knew her from before she was kidnapped but Emma didn't really remember him from that time. She had very faint memories of loud obnoxious laughter from another room as she sat in a living room and played with her toys as well as memories playing hide-and-seek and waiting in a closet as a familiar voice called out for her. Emma assumed that it was Tony and those were the extent of the memories she had of him from childhood.

Imagine her wonder and curiosity at actual never before seen pictures of those memories Tony talked about occasionally.

Another picture warmed her heart as she saw a polaroid of Tony holding her on his lap with the both of them wearing pink pointed party hats on their heads. Emma figured it must've been for her first birthday. She was surprised at the way Tony grinned and pointed at the camera as if he were trying to get Emma to smile at the camera as well. Emma couldn't help but smile at the picture because it showed a side to her and Tony's history that she hadn't seen the full extent of until now.

Emma's smile widened as she noticed the pictures Peter had placed into the photo album of himself as a little kid. She was surprised he put them in there since Peter was usually embarrassed by pictures of his younger self. Emma didn't know why. She always thought Peter was adorable. Even now.

"Parker, you were the cutest kid," Emma remarked and Peter blushed. "Look at you in your nerdy robot club."

"That was two years ago," Peter said, recollecting the time when the picture was taken. It was obviously from when he was in his robotics club at Midtown before he quit. In other words, it was before the spider bite.

"I wish I could've screwed nerdier Peter's brains out," Emma admitted aloud and Peter's eyes widened as he looked at his girlfriend. "Although, nerdier Peter was kind of scrawny. I probably would've broken him."

"Well, he probably would've liked that," Peter flirted back and Emma smirked to herself before flipping through more pictures. She smiled at the ones of her and Michelle from the decathlon team meetings and rolled her eyes at pictures of Peter and Ned being dorks although she felt emotional at the recent pictures that had been taken of her and Steve when she lived at the tower as well as her and her father at compound. It filled her with joy to see pictures of her and her father since they never had pictures of the two of them together before. She knew he didn't like having his picture taken but he put up with it for her.

It was only then that she stumbled on the very large section of the photo album featuring pictures of her and Peter. Emma hadn't realized how many pictures that had been taken of her and Peter. Either way, Emma couldn't believe it.

Those early months when they were just friends.

Last Christmas when they had only just started dating.

Her birthday.

The trip to England.

Their sixth month anniversary.

Pictures of every occasion that brought back a flood of happy memories to Emma. Her eyes filled with tears at the thoughtfulness of Peter's gift. She realized, as much as she always claimed to hate it, that she loved romance and Peter was perhaps the most romantic boyfriend of all time.

"Peter, I don't have any words…this is beautiful," Emma said as she glanced over a picture that Darcy had taken of her and Peter asleep together on the couch. "How long did this take? There's so many pictures in here."

"It took me a couple months and May helped me a lot with the scrapbooking portion," Peter admitted as he watched Emma's reaction to the book carefully. "You know that I'm not the artistic type like you. I just wanted us to have a photo album of ours lives put together. And there's lots of room towards the back of the book for future pictures because we've only just started our lives together. There will be plenty of pictures and memories for the future and I can't wait as long as all those photos are with you."

"You're one hundred percent getting laid tonight," Emma said abruptly and Peter looked at her in surprise before blushing. Emma's flirting was something he would never completely get used to or be able to beat her at but he still enjoyed it nonetheless. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy all the attention Emma gave him.

"That's not why I did it," Peter mentioned, not wanting Emma to think he only did this because he wanted sex out of it but she just shook her head.

"I know but your thoughtfulness and sweetness really turns me on," Emma said, being her usual brutally honest self. "I'm not kidding when I say that this just might be the best present anyone's ever gotten me."

"Even better than the car Tony got you for your last birthday?" Peter asked her and Emma just smiled before taking Peter's hand into her own.

"Peter, we can always find a new car to fool around in," Emma told him, causing Peter to blush an even deeper shade of red if that was possible. "This photo album can't be replaced. I love it so much and I love you so much. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. You're my best friend…just don't tell papa."

"You're my best friend too," Peter said as his gaze softened. He was happy in succeeding at making this anniversary memorable for both himself and Emma. Emma obviously loved his gift and he was relieved. And to think he had been afraid she would hate it. "I love you more."

"If you think I'm going to do that annoying couple thing with you where we argue about who loves who more then you're an idiot," Emma deadpanned before faltering and speaking under her breath. "But I definitely love you more."

"It's okay, Emma. I won't tell anyone how lame and boring you are," Peter said teasingly although he couldn't deny the way his gaze kept drifting down to her lips. The pale pink lipstick on her lips was hypnotizing to Peter. He used to wonder why girls bothered with the stuff but now he didn't have anything to complain about.

Emma then, as if she could read his mind, swiftly pressed her lips against his to show him just how much she appreciated his gift. Peter moaned contently into the kiss as he deepened it. Her arms around the back of his neck and her fingers laced to crown as Peter pressed open, hungry kisses against her lips, not caring if he was going to be wearing her lipstick by the time he pulled away.

"Do. You. Want. To. Take. This. Into. My. Bedroom," Peter said in between kisses and moaned again when Emma caught his bottom lip with her teeth. Emma felt a flare of pride wash over her. She always liked when Peter moaned. Peter thought it was embarrassing Emma thought it was hot.

"Let's take this to the couch," Emma suggested when she pulled away to give her boyfriend a challenging look. As if she were daring him to say no. Peter chest heaved up and down from the overexerting make out session he and Emma just had before he raised his eyebrows in surprise from Emma's suggestion.

"The couch? Really?" Peter asked in surprise and Emma nodded. "I don't know…Emma. I feel kind of weird about doing it on the couch. May sits on that couch. Ned and I do homework on that couch."

"And now you can think of us fucking on that couch every time you sit down to work on one of your nerdy science projects," Emma retorted and Peter blushed. He wanted to tell Emma that she was crude and disgusting but he had to admit that wasn't a bad thought to have. "Come on, Peter. I don't want to have sex on your bunk bed again. I hit my head that one time and it was embarrassing. I'm too tall for your bunk bed anyways. It's really uncomfortable."

"It wasn't embarrassing. It was adorable," Peter said in response and Emma gave him a doubtful look. "It's not my fault you're ridiculously tall. You can thank your grandpa for that."

"Let's make a new rule. Don't mention Steve when we're about to have sex," Emma said as she scolded her boyfriend before continuing to convince him to not take this into his bedroom. "If we don't go back to your bunk bed I promise we'll try that thing from Darcy's magazine that we read about."

"Emma, I'm not going to-wait-" Peter said before stopping when he heard the last part of Emma's sentence. He cleared his throat. "What?"

"The one where the girl's on top but she-" Emma started to say but Peter interrupted her.

"I know which one," Peter said, blushing at the mere thought of what Emma was suggesting. Emma smirked because she already knew Peter was going to cave in. "Fine but I hope May never finds out about this."

"She won't," Emma said confidently as she kissed his cheek in thanks. "Hurry up, Parker. Your aunt will be home in a couple hours and it's been a week since I've had my Peter fix."

"What about the cake?" Peter questioned and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"You'd rather eat cake than have sex?" Emma questioned and Peter nodded.

"You're right. That was a dumb question," Peter admitted before wrapping an arm under his girlfriend's legs and effortlessly sweeping her into his arms as he stood up from the table. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck tightly while he carried her to the couch. He then unceremoniously dropped her on the couch and Emma giggled.

The Emma a year ago would've been horrified at the notion of herself giggling but she no longer cared about past inhibitions.

"Before we start this, I just want you to know how happy I am," Peter told Emma, his breathing heavy in anticipation of the way his and Emma's anniversary dinner would end. He didn't waste any time getting on the couch with her, looming over her as he spoke.

Emma already had her fingers tangled in his hair. It seemed like she always needed to be touching his hair. Whether it was having something to grab on to during sex, running her fingers through it absentmindedly when he slept, or lovingly stroking it for comfort whenever he was having one of those days. Not to say Peter minded her doing that. He actually enjoyed it more than he would ever admit to Ned who always teased Peter for him and Emma being one of those mushy couples. "Like, I never remember being this happy before and I can't believe it's been a whole year since we started going out."

"I know. You already told me, Peter," Emma said because she didn't want him to think he had to thank her every single moment of the night. She knew he was happy and she was honestly happy too.

"I know but I just want you to know how unbelievably happy you make me. Every day's an adventure with you and I'm so lucky to have you in my life," Peter said sincerely looking down at her as brown eyes met blue ones. "You could've picked anyone but you picked me. I feel like I've won the lottery."

"I couldn't have picked _anyone_. It was only you," Emma told him although she decided not to tell him that it was actually her who thought he could've picked literally anyone other than her. A year into the relationship and Emma still felt like she didn't deserve him. She finally believed in luck because that was the only thing that explained how Peter and her ended up together. "You make me happy too, Parker. You make me look forward to each day and now I can't imagine life without you in it."

"You never have to imagine life without me. I'll always be here," Peter told her before leaning down and capturing her lips in a brief kiss. He then pulled away to look at her again. "Rogers, you're stuck with me for good. You're not getting rid of me anytime soon."

"A lifetime of you annoying me to death actually sounds really good," Emma said jokingly but her eyes were sincere as she gazed up at him. Her expression changed a second later when she remembered why she and Peter were on the couch in the first place. "Now it's time to do away with that shirt of yours so get moving, Parker."

Peter laughed before he started doing what his girlfriend demanded of him. He unbuttoned his shirt a little too slowly for Emma's liking. She playfully glared at him.

"If you don't work faster then I'll rip that thing off of you," Emma threatened and Peter smirked at her.

"That's actually motivation to work even slower. I wouldn't mind you ripping my clothes off," Peter flirted as he finally finished unbuttoning the last button of his shirt and pulled his arms out of the sleeves. He carelessly tossed the shirt to the floor. "Your turn."

"Parker, that's just not fair," Emma teased him as Peter looked expectantly at her. "All I have on under this are my bra and panties. I'll be practically naked while you still have half your clothes on."

"That's the point," Peter retorted as he began planting a trail of kiss down her neck. His hands reached for the zipper on the side of her dress and pulled it down without hesitation. He yanked the zipper down so abruptly that Emma heard a snap and then a ripping sound. She turned to look down at her dress in horror.

"Peter?! Oh my god!" Emma exclaimed as she eyed the broken zipper and torn fabric. She then swatted her boyfriend's arm. "The zipper's broken and my dress is torn in half. You ruined my dress, you asshole."

Usually Peter would've displayed some more remorse or even apologized to Emma but he felt his erection throbbing so much he was sure he was about to burst through his pants. Peter was preoccupied with other things other than Emma's ruined dress. Weirdly enough, Emma's anger turned him on even more. Although, he was sure anything about Emma would turn him on in that moment.

"I'll buy you a new one. I get paid this Friday so whatever you want," Peter mumbled against her neck. Emma shoved him away from her. She wanted to be angry with him because he just ruined the dress she bought literally a month ago. The dress she saw on the Zulily app that she immediately fell in love with at first sight. The dress she saw and instantly thought, _'Gee, Peter's going to really love this dress'_. Little did she know that Peter would love the dress a little too much.

"If you think you can just buy me off with another new dress-" Emma started to say but was interrupted when Peter swooped down and attacked her lips with another kiss, immediately shutting her up and causing Emma to forget why she was mad in the first place. She sighed contently into the kiss as her fingers latched on to Peter's hair again.

"You ripping my dress in half was actually kind of hot now that I think about it," Emma told Peter as they briefly parted to catch their breath.

"You forgive me?" Peter asked her quietly and Emma smirked.

"We'll see," Emma told him before she pulled Peter's face to hers and kissed him again. They spent the next two hours making love, making the most of their evening alone together.

Emma knew that her life wasn't perfect. She still had nightmares occasionally, a strange blonde woman haunted her dreams on the nights she escaped her nightmares, her father was stuck at the compound 24/7, and Steve was still on the run. It wasn't perfect but for now it was enough. Especially with Peter at her side. As time passed by, Emma felt like she finally did it. Not just with Peter but leaving her past in her past, letting go of her resentment, having her father in her life more consistently, and trying to right past wrongs during those crime fighting nights spent with her boyfriend.

Emma finally had a life for herself and a path to true happiness.

It was a feeling she wouldn't trade in for anything in the world.


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: This chapter's a little shorter than normal. I promise the next chapter is more exciting than the last. Sorry it took me a while to update but finals really killed me. I'm finally relieved that it's over and I past with flying colors. You don't want to know how much I spent on books for next quarter. It really horrifies me. I don't go back until the second week of next year so I've just been sleeping a lot, writing, and binge-watching tv shows. Work too but I'd rather not get into that. Work has really annoyed me the past week. I don't know what it is about the holidays but old men become really vocal about their sexism around that time for some weird reason. One guy requested that I smile for him and then I was called sweetie repeatedly by a different customer in the span of two days. I'm sure that doesn't sound bad but it's really annoying when you've worked a long busy shift. Anyways...I'm trying to not let it get to me too badly and just relax while I have some time off from school.**

**Guest: I mean, Peter's not really an adult yet and I'm sticking to canon. I don't think he really grows up until Far From Home where he stops being naive or super trusting. **

**Kozak: Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. I'm not going to say what happens in regards to Infinity War or Endgame in this story. I don't want to spoil anything but I already have everything planned. The storyline and everything. I know some people want me to go a certain way with the storyline and other people want me to go another way but I'm sticking to what I have planned because it's what I really want to write. In a way, I think you'll really like the direction I take the story in because it's going to have a lot more character development. **

**anonanon: I want to update When I was Older soon. I have part of the next chapter written but I'm trying to focus on this story first. North Star is kind of the main story I'm paying attention to right now. Thanks so much.**

**I'm sorry if I haven't been answering many reviews lately. I was just so caught up with school that I think I forgot to answer a lot of them but I definitely read them so thank you for taking the time to review and I'll be a lot better about responding to them this time. Thanks for all the follows and favorites I've gotten on this story since I published it. I'm glad you guys are liking the sequel so far and I'm so excited for you to see what I have planned. **

* * *

**Avenger's Compound**

**January, 2018**

"Hold still," Emma told her father as she brushed his long hair. He scowled at her but obeyed nonetheless. They were standing in front of a mirror in his room which used to be Sam's. During many of the conversations she had with Sam, she knew he wasn't a fan of her father stealing his room.

"I _am_ holding still," Bucky argued and Emma just rolled her eyes.

"Why are you nervous anyways? It's just Darcy," Emma said, honestly having no idea what was going through her father's mind. "You see her almost every weekend…unfortunately. Just be thankful you don't spend every day with her like I do."

Emma was, of course, referring to the fact that Bucky had finally gained the courage and asked Darcy out on a date a few days ago. There wasn't really much he could do since he was on house arrest and he was even surprised Darcy said yes in the first place. He wasn't exactly the ideal guy given his situation. Anyways…a few days later, they found themselves here in this situation with Emma helping Bucky get ready for his first date in over seventy years. It was sad to say the least but Emma thought Steve might've had more experience in the dating world than her father did right now.

Where did the world go wrong?

"I don't really understand why she said yes. I'm not exactly dating material," Bucky said quietly and Emma glared at him as she paused in her brushing.

"Are you kidding me, Papa? Look at yourself in the mirror," She said, making her father look at his reflection in the mirror they were standing in front of. "You're so handsome. You've definitely brought up the group average at the compound. Tony was bringing it down into the negatives but you've brought it all the way up from the slump we were in."

"Thanks a lot," Bucky muttered and it was clear that he wasn't taking her seriously. Emma sighed tiredly.

"You're a catch, Papa. Darcy's lucky to go on this date with you," Emma told him but Bucky still seemed unsure. "You're going to go out there and amaze her with your charm. Steve told me how many girls you had sex with back in the day. Tonight you're going to get back that Bucky Barnes charm the world's been missing for the past seventy five years."

"Steve told you about that?" Bucky questioned, looking very appalled that Steve told Emma about the old days. Emma shrugged.

"He told me you went out on a lot of dates but I'm not a child. I know a lot of dates means a lot of sex," Emma explained but Bucky still looked uncomfortable with the notion of discussing his sex life with his daughter. A non-existent sex life or not.

"I'm not discussing this with you," Bucky grumbled. "I also have to say that I'm not comfortable with the casual way you talk about sex either."

"Anyways…I got you this just in case the night takes a turn," Emma said seriously before reaching under her shirt and grabbing something from her bra. Bucky looked away uncomfortably.

"What are you doing?" He questioned, looking highly disturbed. However, he didn't think he could be anymore disturbed than when Emma took a condom from her bra before grabbing his hand and forcing him into taking it.

"I don't know your size but I made an estimate when I was in the medical wing," Emma told him casually as Bucky stared with wide eyes at the condom. "Dr. Cho helped me. She was really eager to help too so I think you have a chance with someone else if Darcy doesn't work out."

Bucky immediately dropped the condom and gave Emma a horrified look.

"You were hiding it in your bra this whole time?" Bucky questioned, blushing furiously as he tried to look away from Emma.

"I'm wearing a skirt, Papa. It's not like I have any pockets," Emma said, looking confused as to why her father was acting weird about this.

"You think I would honestly use a condom that my daughter was keeping in her bra?" Bucky asked her and Emma just shrugged. "No. There needs to be boundaries here. This isn't normal. Daughters aren't supposed to give their fathers condoms."

"I just want you to be protected," Emma told her father seriously. "You're not ready for a baby."

"I'm a grown man, Emma. I can get my own condoms if I need them," Bucky said tiredly, wondering how he even ended up in this conversation with his daughter. "We really need to set up some boundaries. This isn't okay."

"We've always been friends. I don't think there's anything weird about talking about this," Emma told her father, not understanding his discomfort.

"Look, someday, when you're a grown woman, and you start…having intimate relations, I don't want to hear about any of it," Bucky told her gruffly and Emma resisted the urge to smirk. Little did her father know that Emma and Peter had been having "intimate relations" for the past almost five months. The past seven months if you counted oral and hand stuff which Peter did.

Emma liked the idea of living in world where she could have an open and honest relationship with her father. They did for the most part except when it came to her own sex life. Mostly because she didn't want her father to murder her boyfriend. She had a feeling Peter would be dead the moment her father figured out they were having sex so she pretended like she and Peter were saving themselves for marriage which made her father happy.

It was clear no one else bought into her and Peter's lie.

Tony always hid his laughter with a cough whenever Emma reassured her father that she was saving herself for marriage. It was clear Tony didn't believe that particular lie. Her father was still oblivious either way but Emma had to remind herself that she'd probably have some regret if she killed Tony for his idiocy.

"I'm just excited for you to get back out there and release several decades of pent up sexual frustration," Emma tried to tell her father, looking genuinely happy for him. "You deserve it."

"I'm not going to have sex tonight, Emma," Bucky deadpanned, looking annoyed with her at this point. "It's just a date. One date."

"Nowadays they have a three date rule. I know back in your time there was a wait till marriage rule but now it's just a three date rule," Emma explained to him and Bucky gave her an unamused look. "They say the third date is when you have sex."

"I already told you that I'm not discussing this with you. This stuff might fly with Steve but it's not going to fly with me," Bucky said sternly but Emma didn't look scared. She just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Someone's been reading that parenting book Pepper gave them for Christmas," Emma said smugly and Bucky blushed. "Tell me…is setting boundaries chapter three or chapter four? What chapter is raising the troubled ex-assassin?"

"I'm trying to be a responsible parent here, Emma. Help me out," Bucky complained and Emma still seemed amused by his effort. "You were here without any adult supervision for almost a year because let's face it…Stark isn't exactly adult supervision. Neither is Darcy. I'm trying to instill a little discipline. I know that's more of Steve's department but I'm really trying."

"Fine. I'll stop asking you about sex but if you're not going to talk about it with me then who are you going to talk to it about?" Emma asked him and Bucky didn't look like he understood her line of questioning.

"What?"

"You need to start looking for a friend who isn't me, Papa. You need someone to talk to if you won't talk to me," Emma told him and Bucky looked down at his hands.

"I talk to Dr. Wallis," Bucky said quietly and Emma rolled her eyes.

"You talk to Dr. Wallis because you're legally obligated to. I talk to Dr. Wallis too and I sure as hell don't consider her to be my friend," Emma argued, trying to get her father to see the bright side in things. "Look, I hated the idea of making friends when I got stuck here in New York with Tony but I finally found a couple of tolerable people that I don't hate. I'm happy with them too and I think that maybe it's good to have friends. Peter, MJ, and even Ned but don't tell Ned I like him. It would make the idiot too happy."

"I don't think I'm meant to have friends. I have you and Steve. That's enough for me," Her father said but Emma felt sad when seeing the lonely look on his face. She knew that he must've been awfully lonely at the compound during the week when she was going to school. He said he was fine but Emma didn't think so. He really needed to have some friends. It would be good for him just like it was good for her.

"You're going to make some friends and you're going to be damn happy doing that," Emma ordered and Bucky looked at her in surprise. He shook his head.

"Whose going to be my friend, Emma? Stark?" Bucky questioned, laughing bitterly. "The guy hates me because I killed his parents and I don't blame him."

"You don't want to be friends with Tony anyways. He'll annoy you so much you'll want to take your arm off and beat yourself in the head with it. I'm just jealous I can't do the same with my own arm," Emma said jokingly and Bucky chuckled before they both grew more serious again as they returned to their conversation about friendship.

"Rhodey's always been nice to me but he's still friends with Stark at the end of the day. He's loyal to Stark and I respect that," Bucky said with a bit of pride in eyes, obviously thinking of his own loyalty to Steve. Emma rolled her eyes.

Men were so fucking weird.

"You should be friends with Vision," Emma told him suddenly. Bucky looked at her in confusion. "I mean, he's very stuffy, his voice can put you to sleep, and he reminds me of an old college professor but he's nice and nonjudgmental. I don't think it's possible for him to be judgmental and he seems pretty lonely too. I'm not going to be his friend. His politeness and intrusiveness is annoying. Not to mention his taste in women is appalling."

"I don't know, Emma. This seems a little weird," Bucky said, sounding unsure. "I don't think guys just go up to each other and try and be friends."

"Lucky for you Vision isn't your run-of-the-mill man," Emma told her father who still seemed uncertain about Emma's suggestion that he learn to make more friends. "He likes playing board games involving strategy, he loves Victorian era literature, he's a massive Elton John fan, and he binge-watches British detective shows."

"It doesn't sound like we have a whole lot in common," Bucky told his daughter who only shrugged.

"Peter and I didn't have a whole lot in common at first either," Emma tried to tell her father. "I mean, we had entirely different childhoods for example. Mine involved a lot of murder…his not so much. He's also obsessed with Star Wars and I find it kind of silly. I can't watch two robots bickering with each other and take it seriously. There's also the fact that he thinks I watch a bunch of boring old timey movies and that I listen to depressing music."

"So?" Bucky questioned, not understanding why Emma was telling him this. She just rolled her eyes before continuing.

"_So_ I'm just saying that at first we didn't have anything in common but after we got to know each other we found certain things that we did happen to have in common," Emma finally said and Bucky listened to her intently. "The whole Spider-Man and Viper thing for instance, super powers, dead parents, Tony being an ass, and being treated like children. That's a lot in common."

"I don't want a boyfriend, Emma," Bucky deadpanned and Emma laughed before shaking her head.

"Peter and I were friends first. You know that, Papa," Emma informed him and it was Bucky's turn to roll his eyes. "Maybe if you get to know Vision, you'll find things you have in common too."

"I seriously doubt it," He said under his breath but felt himself cave in when he saw the look that Emma was giving him. This was clearly something she wanted for him and Bucky would just have to do it for her. "But I'll try and make some friends."

"Good," Emma said, seeming satisfied with her father's response. "Now back to your date."

Bucky groaned.

"I thought we were done talking about this," Bucky complained but Emma ignored him.

"So I finally got you to change your outfit," Emma started to list off. She still didn't know how she convinced her father to trade in the usual hoodies and drab clothing for something different. She was beginning to think he had the fashion sense of Nick Miller from _New Girl_. This was more of a casual date so Emma thought her father wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans would look nice. Especially since his t-shirt showed off his arms which Emma was more than aware was a weakness for Darcy. "No more Nick Miller hoodies. If I had it my way you'd wear the Winston Bishop bird shirts but I don't think you're there yet."

"Who's Nick Miller? Who's Winston Bishop?" Bucky questioned in confusion and Emma smirked at him.

"If you're going out with Darcy you'll find out," Emma told him before moving on. "We already decided on the dinner. Lemon pepper chicken with a side of wild rice. This was the best recipe we tested out for the date."

"Yeah, after you almost burned the kitchen down helping me with the shrimp fettuccine," Bucky grumbled and Emma playfully glared at him.

"I never said I knew how to cook," Emma pointed out defensively and Bucky rolled his eyes.

"All I asked you to do was boil some water. I never knew anyone who started a fire by boiling water," Bucky told her before giving her a worried look. "I'm honestly a little bit concerned for you."

"Oh, because I'm a woman and I don't know how to cook?" Emma said sarcastically and Bucky shook his head.

"No, for survival reasons. How are you going to survive when you're living alone in the adult world someday?" Bucky asked, seeming genuinely concerned for Emma but she already had an answer for this.

"Peter and I discussed this. He's going to be the cook out of the two of us. He made a homemade pizza for our anniversary dinner and it was really good. Apparently it was an old recipe from May's side of the family," Emma said, sounding sure about her and Peter's roles in the household in the future. "He makes me lunches during the week for school too. Peter makes a really good turkey cranberry cream cheese sandwich and it's actually the best sandwich I've ever had, Papa. You should really try it."

"I think I'll pass," Bucky said, disturbed by the lovesick look on Emma's face like he always was whenever she talked about Peter. It was enough to make him regret asking her whatever he asked her in the first place.

"So Peter will cook and I'll clean since I'm the neater one. He's such a slob. He'll leave clothes all over the floor in his room and then he'll get confused two weeks later when he runs out of clean clothes," Emma complained but Bucky knew that she wasn't really complaining. She actually looked charmed by Peter's disgusting habits. Bucky had never been disappointed in his daughter before but there was a first time for everything. "He also leaves candy wrappers and crumbs lying around everywhere. It's so gross."

Bucky felt the bile rise in his throat at the stupid smile on Emma's face. God, she had never looked more like Steve than she did now. Not in a good way either.

"If you want my arm to start hitting your head with, just let me know," Bucky told her in a serious tone. Emma immediately broke out of her Peter trance and glared at him.

"Whatever," Emma grumbled and Bucky just raised an eyebrow at her.

"We better be talking about you and Peter living together years and years down the road. Like, when you're thirty or something," Bucky told her and Emma just sighed before rolling her eyes and getting back to the subject at hand.

"And you made that chocolate cake for dessert because I told you how much Darcy loves chocolate so we can check that off the list too," Emma informed him and Bucky nodded. "You two will have dinner in the kitchen on the west side of the compound. It's usually empty on a Saturday night so extra privacy. We already set up the kitchen for the date so we're good there too."

"Can we stop going over this?" Bucky said, looking tired after having this long discussion with Emma. How embarrassing was it when you needed your teenage daughter to help you with a date?

"You haven't been on a date in this century," Emma told him as if he didn't know. "You need all the help you can get."

"What and you're an expert on dating?" Bucky questioned doubtfully but Emma didn't back down. She just stared back at him.

"I have more experience than you right now," Emma retorted and Bucky had to admit that she was right. This was even more humiliating than he expected. "Let's go over appropriate topics for a first date. I have to admit the first date aspect is a little different for me because Peter and I already exchanged "I love you's" before our first date so I like to think it took a lot of pressure off."

Bucky really wished she would stop mentioning Peter whenever she got the chance. He understood that she was really happy about the whole one year anniversary thing but it was starting to get old really fast. Don't get Bucky wrong. He was happy that she was happy but he just didn't like seeing their relationship in his face all the time. Especially when he would walk in on Emma on the kid's lap while the kid shoved his tongue down her throat and had his hand on her ass. Bucky lost track of the amount of times he chased the kid around the compound.

The kid was lucky he was fast.

"Darcy has a weird and obsessive friendship with Jane so I think you two could have a lot in common since you also have a weird and obsessive friendship with Steve. You two should talk about that," Emma said bluntly and Bucky was about to argue with her but she continued on before he could interject. "She also has a love for rom-coms so she'll probably bring that up at same point. Maybe you two could watch one on Netflix later if dinner goes well. Also, anything you've ever seen Tony do with Pepper…don't do it."

"Uh…okay," Bucky said awkwardly and Emma went on to explain.

"I'm convinced the only reason Pepper's with Tony is because of Stockholm Syndrome. It's the only reason that logically makes sense to me," Emma said seriously and Bucky just stared at her, wondering if she was kidding or not. She seemed to have a love for teasing Tony Stark so it was hard to tell the difference when she was or wasn't giving the billionaire a hard time. "This is a grown man who bought a grown woman a giant stuffed bunny for Christmas one year. Maybe it would make sense if bunnies were some cute inside joke in their relationship but they apparently have zero relevance. Why he would do that is a question that's been bothering me and everyone else for years."

"Nothing Stark would do. I think I get it now," Bucky said and Emma seemed happy with his answer.

"Just ask her about her likes and dislikes. Favorite movies, music, and tv shows. Those are things normalish women probably like talking about," Emma said and Bucky nodded. He then gave her a small smile.

"I'll be fine, Emma. Don't worry about me," Bucky reassured her. "You've done a great job with helping me get ready for the date. Now go watch a movie with Peter or something."

"Watch a movie with Peter?" Emma said in surprise, giving her father a teasing smile. "This is the first time you've ever suggested that I do anything to spend time with Peter. You must really be sex starved."

"Shut up and get out of here," Bucky told her, giving her a playful glare. Emma just laughed before leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"Good luck with your date, Papa," Emma told him before she turned around and left the room through the door from which she came. Bucky watched her leave with a feeling of contentment. He had been at the compound for about six months now on house arrest and thought he felt happier than he did in Wakanda. Sure, he missed Emma during the week but he always cherished the weekends he had with her because it was more than what he had before.

Could this really be real?

Bucky was finally achieving that dream he used to let himself have in Romania. The dream where he would get better someday so that he and Emma could live together just like she always used to talk about in Hydra. Bucky always ignored her back then and when he lived in Romania he didn't think the dream was something he could ever have but a couple years later he was living with Emma and living as honestly as someone like him could live.

Even if the date didn't go well, Bucky would still be happy with his life because Emma was finally in it for good. He planned on staying here with her and not missing another moment of her life. He already missed too much between them leaving Hydra and reuniting just several months ago.

Bucky would never miss another moment for as long as he lived.

* * *

"Emma, this is weird," Peter Parker complained loudly as he sat on the edge of his girlfriend's bed. Emma was across the room with a sketchbook in hand as she drew her boyfriend. The bedroom door was wide open, of course, which was a rule her father made a long time ago. It only started being enforced a few weeks ago when her father discovered that he could ask Friday to tell him if the door was ever closed.

Emma really hated technology sometimes.

"It's not weird. I'm just drawing you," Emma said without looking up from her sketchbook. "I'd rather draw you nude but since we can't have the door open, I guess that'll have to be for another time."

"Emma…" Peter trailed off as he blushed.

"I've drawn from memory but I think it would be better if you sat down for it," Emma said casually. There was a glimmer of mischief in her eyes because she loved teasing Peter and making him blush. Peter's eyes widened.

"You mean, you've drawn naked pictures of me?!" Peter exclaimed, looking both intrigued and bashful. Emma shrugged.

"A few," Emma told him nonchalantly as she looked up at him from her sketchbook in amusement. Peter shifted in his seat, feeling flustered by Emma's admission.

"I don't know why you want to draw me like that, Emma," Peter told her but Emma didn't look like she was shying away from her statement.

"Because you're beautiful," Emma told him confidently and Peter suddenly looked shy. "I would've thought by now that you would know how much I find you attractive."

"Just draw the picture," Peter mumbled although he felt a deep sense of pride wash over him because it was always a huge ego boost whenever his girlfriend told him how attractive she found him…or when she showed him, at least.

Emma returned her attention to the sketchbook and admired the way she had drawn his eyes. One of Emma's favorites features about Peter, other than the more obvious ones, were his eyes. She loved how warm and kind they were. His eyes were Emma's greatest weakness. She thought he could ask her for anything while staring at her with those adorable brown Bambi eyes and she would give it to him. Emma always made it a goal of hers to get his eyes exactly right but no fine shading or detail could ever replicate the warmth his eyes displayed in real life.

In all honesty, Emma was surprised that Peter had agreed to sit down for her sketch but she supposed when she told him that she wanted it to be her birthday present from him, he agreed. It also helped that she promised him sexual favors although she would've had sex with him anyways. Emma knew that and Peter knew that but it was still fun making those sorts of promises to each other.

It had been almost five months since that weekend at Flash's lake house. Emma and Peter's relationship was stronger than ever. In fact, they both celebrated their one year anniversary last month. Emma still couldn't believe they'd been together for over a year now. She felt like the luckiest girl in the whole world. It didn't even bother her that she had now turned into the lovesick teenage girl she always sneered at.

It didn't matter because Emma was happy.

There was a time in her life where the whole world seemed gray and uninviting but now everything was colorful and exciting.

Especially with her father back in her life now although Emma still missed Steve. Steve who she still texted via the private and secure Stark phone Tony set her up with. Steve and the others were currently on a mission in Syria so Emma hadn't heard from him in a few days. She wasn't worried. It was Steve and she knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"Ooh! What do we have here?" Said a voice that was annoying to Emma's ears. Emma looked up in feigned disdain at the single most annoying person she had ever come across. An old man some may know as Tony Stark but who Emma commonly knew as the Iron Loser.

"None of your goddamn business," Emma said in annoyed tone as Tony leaned in the doorway of her bedroom. He smirked at the two teenagers in the room.

"Looks like Peter's got some new work as a model. Never knew you had it in you, kid," Tony teased Peter.

"I didn't want to, Mr. Stark, but Emma made me," Peter said defensively and Tony raised an eyebrow.

"And how may I ask did she make you?" Tony questioned and then a disgusted look came over his face when Peter blushed a startling shade of red. "Never mind. I don't want to know the answer to that. You kids are like a couple of bunnies. It's disgusting and I'm going to pretend like I don't know anything about it."

"It's none of your business anyways," Emma grumbled as she continued sketching her boyfriend and attempting to ignore Tony. If there was one thing to know about Tony Stark, it was the fact that he hated being ignored.

"I'm surprised you too aren't going at it right now," Tony told them as he looked at the two teenagers who were closer than ever. It was clear to him after that weekend at their friend's lake house, something between the two took a serious turn.

Tony right away knew that their relationship had become more intimate. It was obvious from the way they looked at each other, whispered sweet nothings to each other, and they lingering touches they would leave for one another. Tony cared a lot about the two teenagers and although he felt that they were a little too young to be having sex, he couldn't say anything because he had been young once too.

Besides…they both seemed happy and as long as they were being safe and responsible, Tony was happy for them too.

"Unlike you, Peter and I are professional and we don't have sex at work. Even though I'm appalled that people your age still have sex. That's disgusting," Emma said insultingly and Tony rolled his eyes. While Emma tried to convince everyone that she wasn't a teenager mentally, she still sounded like one with how she thought everyone over thirty was old.

"I'm forty-seven-years old. That's not old," Tony argued before his smirk returned to his face. "I also wonder if you two keeping your hands to yourselves is because your daddy's here…daddy's girl."

"My father doesn't have any influence over what I choose to do," Emma snapped, glaring at Tony. The billionaire had taken a liking to teasing Emma about her father after noticing how close she and Barnes were. Tony was struck by how obedient Emma was when it came to Barnes. She even listened to him more than she listened to Steve. Tony was surprised because all Emma seemed to do in the entire time she was left in his care was defy him and go against everything he told her.

"Keep telling yourself that, Mini Cap," Tony quipped before moving the conversation along. There was an actual reason why he was there. It wasn't just to annoy Emma. "Anyways, I just came by to tell you guys that Ross is coming to the compound in a couple weeks so be on your best behavior. I know how difficult that is for you, Rogers."

"He hasn't died yet?" Emma grumbled, trying not to get too annoyed over the fact that Ross would be returning. She hadn't seen the man since he placed her father under house arrest a few months ago.

"He's just coming to check up on your father and to take a look at his progress," Tony told her and Emma rolled her eyes.

"My father's doing more than fine. I wish that asshole would actually do his fucking job rather than pester my father who's just trying to live a peaceful life," Emma hissed and Peter wished that Tony hadn't actually come in to tell Emma any of that. She absolutely hated Ross and a small part of Emma was afraid that Ross would still try to put her father into Raft.

"Don't shoot the messenger," Tony said, probably wishing he hadn't told Emma in the first place. "I just wanted to let you know but I'll be going now. I know how difficult it is for you two but please trying keeping your hands to yourselves. I don't want to have to explain to May why Peter's having a funeral. I also know how much you would hate it if your daddy ended up in prison for real this time."

"Get out of here, Tony. You're starting to annoy me," Emma told the billionaire and Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Only starting? I must finally be growing on you," Tony quipped before quickly darting away when Emma threw her tin of charcoals at him. She glowered as she heard him snickering down the hallway. The fucking coward. He couldn't take being hit by a tin of charcoals like a man so he ran away instead.

"You love him. You can't convince me otherwise," Peter told her confidently and Emma sneered at him.

"Just go back to doing what you're good at, Parker. Shut up and look pretty for me," Emma ordered him and Peter just smirked to himself as he went back to sitting still and being quiet as Emma sketched him. He knew deep in that confusing and complex mind of hers that Emma loved Tony. She never said it but she never had to.

If she didn't love Tony then she wouldn't care enough to bicker with him.

Peter was sure of it.

* * *

"How did it go?" Emma asked her father eagerly as he walked into the recreational area of the compound. Emma and Peter had waited up for her father, killing time by watching the new season of _Stranger Things_ but Peter had fallen asleep a while ago. Somewhere between watching the episode of Eleven eating a squirrel in the woods and the one where the boys show up as the Ghost Busters to school.

"It went really well, actually…or, at least, I think it did. I'm not sure if Darcy feels the same," Bucky admitted although he was starting to second guess himself because he wasn't entirely sure if Darcy really enjoyed the date or not.

"Please…that date was the only thing Darcy talked about for the past week. Even if you acted like an ass, she'd be desperate enough to want another date," Emma told her father reassuringly and Bucky raised his eyebrows. It was clear to him that Emma had a way of complimenting someone while insulting them at the same time. There were often times he compared Emma to Steve or her grandmother but Bucky realized that particular trait was one hundred Emma's. No one else's.

"Thanks a lot," Bucky said sarcastically before letting his gaze fall towards Peter who was sound asleep, his head resting against a pillow in Emma's lap as the blonde soothingly stroked his hair as if he were a dog instead of her boyfriend. Bucky wrinkled his nose in disgust at the boy's loud snoring and puddle of drool on the pillow. He expected Emma to look disgusted too but she seemed unbothered by her boyfriend's disgusting habits.

"That's disgusting," Bucky pointed out and Emma looked down at the drool coating the pillow and the side of her boyfriend's face. She then shrugged as she looked back up at her father uncaringly.

"I thinks it's kind of cute," Emma said nonchalantly and Bucky scoffed.

"You won't be saying that when his drools misses the pillow and lands on your leg," Bucky pointed out and Emma still seemed unbothered.

"As long as he doesn't drool on my skirt, I don't mind," Emma retorted. Her smile then turned more evil as she looked down at her boyfriend and gently cooed the next sentence as if she were speaking to a baby. "Parker, you get one little drop of drool on my skirt and I'll melt every single one of your Star Wars dolls with a blow torch and take a baseball bat to your Xbox. Nothing you do will stop me either."

"I can't tell if you're joking right now," Bucky deadpanned as he looked at his daughter in a new light. She was astoundingly good at talking like a supervillain. Bucky didn't know whether he should feel scared for Peter or not.

Nah.

The kid knew what he was getting into when he started dating Emma. His melted Star Wars dolls and destroyed gaming systems were all on him. If he wanted all of Emma's craziness then there was a price to pay. Bucky gave the kid a choice to get out a long time ago. Granted, that so called out was really just Bucky choking the life out of the kid but it still counted in Bucky's books.

"Peter better hope that I am," Emma replied before her gaze then softened when Peter snuggled closer against the pillow. Bucky snorted. He guessed the kid really did have a death wish, after all.

"Did she like the dinner?" Emma asked quietly as her attention returned to her father. Bucky nodded, giving Emma a small smile.

"She really did. We talked a lot. She told me about her family and growing up in the Midwest. I even talked about growing up in Brooklyn," Bucky mentioned and Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise before giving her father a smile.

"That's great, Papa," Emma told him, sincerely happy for him. She knew it often made him sad discussing his childhood because it was a reminder of what he had lost so it made her happy that he was actually talking about it more. It showed progress and Emma welcomed it.

"I think we're going to have a movie night next weekend," Bucky said, sounding both excited and nervous. "I thought you and…Peter might like to join us for that."

"No, I think you should spend a couple hours with Darcy on your own. We already spend so much time together that I think it's good if you spend an evening with someone else," Emma said. As much as she loved spending time with her father, she knew it would be better for him to form relationships with people that weren't her or Steve. Whether those were romantic relationships or just friendship based ones.

"Okay, as long as you're okay with that," Bucky said, still sounding a bit nervous in spending a bit of time apart from his daughter during their brief weekends together. He cherished all the time he spent with Emma. He knew it was a stroke of luck that he even got those weekends with Emma in the first place.

"I'll be fine, Papa," Emma reassured her father, wanting him to know it was okay to spend time with other people. She just didn't want him to be lonely when she wasn't around. "This nerd will keep me occupied in some shape or form."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Bucky grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at the boy who sleeping innocently against his daughter. Emma rolled her eyes. Her father really did need a girlfriend so he would stop trying to save her non-existent virtue.

"If it's up to him I'll probably be helping him build his Lego Death Star. Helping my boyfriend play with his Legos is probably the least sexiest couple activity that's ever been invented," Emma informed her father. "I'm not with Parker for his suaveness. That's for sure."

"Well, I'm glad your boyfriend's dumb," Bucky told her, thinking that Peter was too ignorant and oblivious to get his daughter into bed. Little did Bucky know that Peter wasn't nearly as stupid as he thought he was. Emma said that Peter wasn't exactly suave but that didn't mean he still couldn't get it. If anything Emma was attracted to how much of a dork Peter was.

"You still haven't mentioned if you and Darcy skipped forward to that third date rule I told you about," Emma said teasingly as she changed the subject from her and Peter. Bucky glared at her.

"You saw me three hours ago. What makes you think that I had dinner and dessert but also sex on top of all that?" Bucky retorted and Emma shrugged.

"You're a super soldier too. Don't we all have enhanced stamina? You could probably multitask if you had to," Emma said nonchalantly and Bucky gave her a disgusted look. He shook his head at her before he turned and began to walk away.

"I'm finished having this discussion with you. I don't know who you get these disgusting thoughts from. I know it's not me and it's definitely not Steve," Bucky muttered and Emma smirked in satisfaction at finally getting under her father's skin. She couldn't believe she used to hate the idea of him dating. This was going to be so much fun.

"That's because I'm disgusting all my own. I don't need help from anyone in that department," Emma told him confidently and Bucky just continued to shake his head as he walked down the hall.

"I blame Stark," Bucky said under his breath, knowing perfectly well that Emma could hear him, before he turned around a corner and disappeared from sight.

Emma glared at the hallway before turning back to her boyfriend, still sleeping with his head in her lap. Her gaze softened for a second until she realized some of his drool trickled down onto her skirt and there was now a pretty big wet stain on her clothing. Emma just stared at the stain before giving her boyfriend an adoring look as she lovingly ran her fingers through his hair again. She then whispered a soft voice although she knew he was still so deep in sleep that he wouldn't hear her.

"Rey dies first."

* * *

"Are you still having the dreams?" Dr. Wallis asked Emma as they sat in the woman's office that Tony assigned her. Emma gave her a bored look from her seat across from the doctor on a hideous leather couch that Tony probably picked himself. It was obvious from it's ugliness that it was well within his taste. "The ones about the woman."

"A couple times a week maybe," Emma said, playing along with this required therapy that Ross was forcing everyone at the compound to take. Her father and her made an agreement that they would, at least, try therapy although Emma didn't really have high hopes. It's not like Dr. Wallis could magically cure her of all her problems. Dr. Wallis raised her eyebrows at Emma's statement.

"A couple times a week? That's more than usual. You used to tell me it was once a month," She informed her and Emma shrugged. "Why do you think that is?"

"How should I know?" Emma retorted taking the sarcastic approach but Dr. Wallis was used to the same kind of deflection from Tony Stark although Mr. Stark was a lot more talkative than Emma was. Sometimes it was hard pulling an answer from the reserved teenager. "I can't say I'm complaining. It beats having nightmares about my past. Carol has an interesting enough life to keep me occupied too."

"Carol?" Dr. Wallis questioned and Emma looked at her like she was stupid.

"Yes, her name is Carol. I've mentioned that before," Emma told her, wishing that the woman could, at least, keep up with her.

"No, I just find it interesting that you remember this woman's name. You talk about her as if she's real," Dr. Wallis remarked and Emma shook her head.

"I'm not a child. I know she's not real," Emma told her. "She's just a common character in my dreams."

"This could trace back to you letting go of your past. You've countlessly told me that you're in a better place in your life since Hydra's been extinguished," Dr. Wallis stated and Emma gave her full attention to the psychologist. "You have more stability with your father back in your life, you have friendships, school, and a healthy romantic relationship. You've mentioned having sex and enjoying it without associating it with what happened in the past."

"So?" Emma questioned.

"So I think this woman in your dreams is a manifestation of all the good things happening in your life," Dr. Wallis told the teenager with a smile. "I think it's you moving on. You having dreams instead of nightmares is a good sign of that."

"I suppose that makes sense," Emma said although she wasn't entire sure if she bought into that. Peter and her father both told her that these dreams were just dreams. Nothing more but something in the back of her mind said differently. It's not like she had a bad feeling or anything. Something just felt off about these dreams. Emma couldn't explain it.

"Now that we've discussed that, I'd like to go over something else," Dr. Wallis stated, changing the subject and Emma was glad. If she told Dr. Wallis about her feelings regarding the dreams then the doctor was likely to deem her insane. "I'd like to talk about your work in the field. You and Peter still regularly patrol Queens as Viper and Spider-Man, correct?"

"Right," Emma stated, wondering where the woman was going with this.

"I want to know how you're doing in that aspect of your life. Juggling a life like that with school must be somewhat difficult," Dr. Wallis stared and Emma knew this was some sort of test.

"Not really. It's not like Peter and I are going on Avenger missions or anything," Emma retorted and Dr. Wallis nodded before continuing.

"But you and Peter did go on one this past year. The mission where Peter got injured," Dr. Wallis brought up and Emma was careful not to show her tension. She knew the woman would write it in her little notebook and report back to Tony and Ross.

"That was difficult for me," Emma admitted and began to be especially careful with her choice of words. She knew if she said the wrong thing that it would be used against her later on in some shape or form. "I was the one who convinced Peter to let me go face Rumlow and then I tricked him. Peter getting shot was on me. I never wanted that to happen and I still feel guilty even if he's forgiven me."

"Does Peter think that you need to be forgiven?" Dr. Wallis questioned and Emma chewed on the inside of her cheek before answering the question.

"He doesn't think so but I do. I don't know what I would've done if something happened to him," Emma told the woman and Dr. Wallis raised her eyebrows.

"You mean if he died?" Dr. Wallis inquired and Emma's gaze fell back on to her.

"Yes."

"Let me ask you something, Emma," Dr. Wallis said, sitting up straighter in her seat. Emma eyed her different posture before glancing back up at her face. "Let's go through a quick scenario. We'll relate it to yours and Peter's work in Queens. You two have made it a mission to clean up Queens, right?"

"As much as we can," Emma said in response, trying to figure out where Dr. Wallis was going with this. It always made her nervous to be around the woman because this wasn't someone she could just simply trick or fool like Tony or Steve. This was someone whose job it was to watch signs in a person and determine what they were or weren't hiding. Emma was afraid Dr. Wallis would see what she was hiding.

"You and Peter fought a man by the name of Toomes in the past as well," Dr. Wallis inquired and Emma nodded.

"He liked to call himself the Vulture. I thought it was a stupid name but you know how some men are," Emma said nonchalantly.

"And he was stealing weapons from Avenger battles," Dr. Wallis added and Emma nodded again.

"Chitauri, Dark Elf, and Ultron weaponry. You name it," Emma confirmed and Dr. Wallis took a deep breath before continuing.

"Say this man, Toomes, had broken out of prison and gotten hold of even more alien technology and weapons," Dr. Wallis said carefully as she watched Emma's stoic face intently. "Say he posed an even bigger threat than before. He had a plan to sell these weapons to really bad people who would use these weapons to threaten the world's population. What would you do?"

"I know the Sokovia Accords places limits on that. Tony, Vision, and Rhodey would probably handle it rather than Peter and I," Emma said diplomatically, thinking Dr. Wallis was trying to trip her up with the Sokovia Accords. However, the woman shook her head.

"Let's forget the Sokovia Accords for a second. Let's forget about the others," Dr. Wallis told her which made Emma curious. She wanted to know what the older woman was trying to get at. Emma really had no clue at this point. "Let's pretend that you and Peter are older in this scenario. Just imagine that you and Peter are Avengers and for some reason the others are unavailable."

"Then I guess Peter and I would stop him. We would do right if we could. We'd throw him into Raft this time," Emma said calmly, still cautious about Dr. Wallis's intentions. "If it came down to it and he gave us no other choice then we would have to take him out."

"What if you had a clear and easy shot to stop Toomes by getting the weapons back from him before he sells them to more dangerous people," Dr. Wallis said, giving Emma a new and different scenario. "However, he's captured Peter, your father, and Steve."

Dr. Wallis watched carefully, trying find any change in Emma's otherwise blank face. This girl was difficult to read but Dr. Wallis thought she knew just how to push her to finally get her to break down her walls. Just enough so Dr. Wallis could see the real Emma Rogers and not one the Emma curated for her to see.

"There's two ships that Toomes has sent off from the docks across the Atlantic," Dr. Wallis said softly, still watching for any change in expression on Emma's face. "One has the weapons which are headed off to end up in the enemy's hands. The other ship has Peter, your father, and Steve who are unable to free themselves. The ship that has them also has a bomb which will go off in a designated amount of time."

"If you save them first then the other ship with weapons will end up in the enemy's hands but if you save the weapons then the bomb will go off, killing all three of them," Dr. Wallis said, giving the teenager a difficult scenario. "You have to pick."

"That's easy. I'd save Peter, Papa, and Steve first," Emma said, not even giving it much thought because she felt like she didn't have to. "I could save them and get the weapons back later. This time I would have the three of them to help me."

"But you would have a guaranteed chance to stop the weapons from going to the wrong people," Dr. Wallis informed Emma who shook her head.

"Yes but Peter, Papa, and Steve would already be dead. If I saved them first then I could get the weapons back anyways. There's no sense in risking their lives over something I can just get later," Emma pointed out but Dr. Wallis still felt like Emma wasn't understanding the question.

"Let me clarify, Emma. You would have a 100% chance of getting the weapons if you pick the ship with the weapons first. You have a 50% chance if you save the other ship first and try to get the weapons later," Dr. Wallis said, breaking it down for Emma in hopes that she would understand the scenario better. "Do you understand the odds?"

"I'm not going to gamble with their lives over a chance I might not get the weapons later on. Besides…Toomes wasn't some genius. He was a greedy old man," Emma said arrogantly, not realizing that she gave the wrong answer. "He probably doesn't have the brains to kidnap not only Steve and my father but Peter too. They're all enhanced too so it's not possible."

"I understand, Emma," Dr. Wallis said politely, giving the girl a small smile before jotting down more notes in her notebook. While doing so, she couldn't help the unease in the pit of her stomach from having this conversation with Emma. She never gave this difficult scenario to the others she saw at the compound but only because they didn't force her hand like Emma did. All of them were a lot more easy to read. Even Bucky Barnes.

However, Dr. Wallis got chills from Emma's answer.

This was a girl who was not only enhanced with a high intellect but Mr. Stark had plans for her to become an Avenger someday. An Avenger who would be in charge of making decisions and holding people's lives in her hands. The very thought of Emma Rogers being in a position of power like that horrified the doctor. In a way, she felt bad for the young girl who had endured so much trauma and pain in her young life but deep down she knew someone like that shouldn't be out on the streets right now fighting crime.

Dr. Wallis made a decision she was given no choice but to make.

Yet she still took no pleasure in doing so.

* * *

"I forgot to ask but how did your therapy session go last night?" Peter asked his girlfriend as they walked into school together. It was Monday morning and they had returned to the city last night after leaving the compound. Students rushed past them on their way to class but the two teenagers paid no attention to them. Emma shrugged.

"A waste of time as usual," Emma muttered and Peter gave her a look.

"Come on. You promised to, at least, try," Peter reminded her and Emma sighed heavily before nodding.

"You're right. I know," Emma said even though she didn't like admitting Peter was right. She knew that she promised him that she would try to participate in therapy. Especially since her father was required to take therapy and Emma wanted to be supportive of him.

"It couldn't have been that bad," Peter said optimistically and Emma shrugged.

"I guess not," Emma said in agreement. "It could be worse. I could be stuck spending the entire weekend in Tony's lab and forced to actually spend quality time with him."

"Ha ha. Very funny," Peter said although he gave Emma an amused look. "Hey, you've finished your physics homework, right?"

"Yes, _Steve_. I was a good girl and did my homework," Emma said sarcastically and Peter rolled his eyes. Emma then smirked at her boyfriend as she leaned in closer to him. "Are you going to give me a reward if I get an A?"

"Not here, Emma," Peter said, blushing as he cautiously looked around to see if any teachers saw how close Emma was standing to him. "We'll get in trouble."

"We got in more trouble last year. We skipped a bunch of classes, a school trip, and a dance. One little kiss isn't going to get us in trouble," Emma said dismissively and Peter had trouble disagreeing with Emma as he always did whenever she was standing this close. Peter's eyes fluttered shut as Emma leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Emma usually wasn't a fan of PDA but Peter was too cute to resist in that dorky sweater he was wearing. Emma felt Peter's tongue start to slip into her mouth as he deepened the kiss and held her closer to him.

Then the kiss ended a little too soon for either of their liking.

"Miss Lewis and Mr. Parker!" Coach Wilson called out as Emma and Peter then parted. They looked up at their teacher who was giving them a disgusted look. Mr. Harrington was standing next to him. "You know that there's no kissing on school grounds. There's no exchanging spit back and forth like what you two were just doing either. Don't make me give you two detention. I don't need to see y'all passing love notes for an hour. It's not Valentine's Day yet and look…you're making Mr. Harrington sad."

"Tabitha and I used to be like that," Mr. Harrington said in quiet voice as his eyes grew distant while Emma and Peter just stared at him. "Everything was so nice and happy at first but then something changed. We got married and it was just never the same after that. She said I love too much. How can you love too much?"

"I'm going to my office now. Don't follow me," Coach Wilson told the man, looking thoroughly creeped out by him, before looking back at the two teenagers. "If I see a mouth attached to another mouth again then it's detention. Don't make me do that. I'm rooting for you kids."

"Sorry, Mr. Wilson. It won't happen again," Peter apologized while Emma just stared at him blankly. Coach Wilson always got chills whenever he was around that girl. He wasn't sure why but she creeped him the hell out. What an odd couple, he thought to himself before walking away.

"I'll head back to my own office I suppose," Mr. Harrington said in a sad tone before walking in the opposite direction. "I definitely not going to call Tabitha and leave a voice mail where I'm begging her to take me back. That's what I'm not going to do."

"What a freak," Emma stated once Mr. Harrington was out of ear shot. Peter glared at his girlfriend.

"We almost got detention because of you," Peter accused and Emma gave him an innocent look.

"You didn't have to kiss me back if you didn't want to. You could've pushed me away," Emma pointed out, knowing full well Peter would never do that. Peter rolled his eyes. "Besides…a detention for making out is kind of hot."

"Detention isn't hot," Peter retorted, scoffing at his ridiculous girlfriend.

"The detention slip would read, "Mr. Peter Parker got a detention for sticking his tongue down Miss Emma Lewis's throat," Emma told him and Peter considered it for a moment.

"Okay, so maybe detention can be hot, after all," Peter admitted and Emma just smiled at him before slipping her hand into his. They continued on their way down the hall but Peter couldn't stop the goofy grin that came across his face as he glanced at their interlocked hands. There was a time where he had to be the one to initiate something like this with Emma but not anymore.

"Your dad didn't say anything to me when we left the compound last night. I think that's progress," Peter said and Emma gave him a confused look.

"How is that progress?" Emma questioned.

"Because usually he glares at me and says something mean but this time he just looked at me coldly and didn't say anything at all. I think he's starting to warm up to me," Peter said, half joking and half not.

"See? I told you he would eventually warm up to you," Emma told him, not catching Peter's sarcasm. Peter just chuckled before shaking his head. "If you want to get him to like you more then I think you need to mention that you think Sam's a huge idiot. I know he likes you more than Sam. He's more jealous of Sam than he is of you."

"But I like Sam. He's funny," Peter told Emma. She gave him a serious look.

"If you don't want my father to hate you forever then don't tell him that," Emma said and Peter wondered if she was kidding or not. Probably not. Knowing Emma, she definitely might not be kidding.

"Peter!" A loud booming voice said and Emma rolled her eyes as Ned ran over to them. "Betty just told me that Coach Wilson almost gave you and Emma detention. What happened? Are you two going to skip again? Is there a spider viper thing going on?"

"Relax, you idiot. Peter and I almost got a detention because Peter put his tongue in my mouth. There's nothing interesting going on," Emma said bluntly, causing Ned to give her a disgusted look and Peter to give her an annoyed look.

"Hey, you kissed me first. That's not fair," Peter argued childishly and Emma sneered at him.

"I thought you were seventeen, not seven," Emma retorted and Peter glared at her.

"I'm still older than you."

"I'm still _taller_ than you."

"I'm still _stronger_ than you."

"Yeah, well, I still have your virginity," Emma said, knowing she won the argument. Peter glowered at her.

"And in two seconds you'll be making out again," Michelle added as she walked up to them. She shook her head at the couple. "You two are either arguing, declaring your undying love for each other, doing mushy stuff, or fucking. You're the two weirdest people I know and that's not even considering the spider viper thing."

"English is about to start, Ned. We better go," Peter said after ignoring Michelle. He then leaned over and kissed Emma's cheek adoringly. "I'll see you during third period. Love you."

"Love you too," Emma said as Peter and Ned began to walk in the opposite direction. Ned gave his friend a bewildered look as Emma and Michelle were still ear shot and watched them.

"What the hell? You two were just arguing," Ned said in puzzlement. Peter shrugged.

"That was for fun."

"Fun?" Ned questioned before narrowing his eyes at Peter. "Wait…is this a sex thing?"

"No! Oh my god, Ned. No," Peter then paused for a moment before blushing. "Well, maybe a little."

"Ew," Ned said before he and Peter turned down a corner and disappeared from sight. Emma turned back to face Michelle who looked as grossed out by the couple as Ned seemed to be.

"You two really are disgusting," Michelle told her, wanting Emma to know that. The blonde rolled her eyes as she and Michelle began to head to their AP English class. "Just so you know, because of you I won't be dating for a very long time."

"Good. Don't," Emma told her jokingly. "Try to stay free for as long as possible. Getting tied down sucks. You know there used to be a time where I would never dare touch a Lego let alone help some stupid boy build an entire Death Star. These days, I've helped a stupid boy build not only a Death Star but a Millennium Falcon, an Ewok village, and a Rebel base. I've sunken to all new lows."

"Even hearing those words come out of your mouth, makes me want to barf," Michelle joked and Emma shrugged.

"Parker watched every adaptation of _Jane Eyre _with me so I can't complain," Emma admitted before Michelle decided to change the subject. She didn't want to spend the whole morning talking about Peter Parker. Emma had the afternoon and evening to daydream about Peter on her own time.

"So are we still coming over Thursday night?" Michelle asked her and Emma nodded.

"After Parker and I get done patrolling," Emma confirmed.

"I thought we could go over some of the essay questions as prep for the decathlon finals next month," Michelle told her. "We can also watch this creepy movie I found called _The Love Witch_. I heard there's a lot of feminist undertones in the film and I'm a huge fan of the director too."

"You had me at creepy," Emma said as she smirked at her friend. "I've never really done the whole girls night in thing."

"Me neither. Well, in the second grade my mom forced me to go to a slumber party that I was clearly not wanted at," Michelle informed her and Emma listened to her. She was always curious about hearing her friends' childhoods since she never really had one herself. "I think the girl was just trying to be nice by inviting me."

"I've never really got along with girls either," Emma admitted and in their own weird way, Michelle and Emma were trying to tell each other how they appreciated each other's friendship. Emma and Michelle were never the type to express their feelings in a normal way. "Well, the only girls I really spent any time with were Natasha and Wanda. I never really liked how much time Steve spent with them so I never cared to spend any time them either. Wanda's also really annoying."

"You're a jealous person," Michelle pointed out, looking amused at Emma. "If you're not the center of those guys' universe then you flip out."

"What?" Emma questioned, looking confused by Michelle's statement. "I don't like being the center of attention."

"I don't mean it in a bad way, Emma. I just think it's funny," Michelle said casually. "You like attention from men. Not just Peter but Steve, your father, and Stark too. I get it though. For you, you've spent most of your life around men."

"Men are annoying and disgusting. I don't need their full on attention," Emma denied although deep down she knew she liked being the center of her father and Steve's universe. Not to mention Peter adored her and showered her with never-ending love and affection. In Hydra, it was cold and when her father was gone she felt like no one cared about her. However, when the Avengers rescued her she was suddenly the most important thing to the Avengers and they coddled her in a lot of ways. Emma liked feeling like she mattered even if she didn't express those feelings most of the time.

"I kind of get it. I have brothers," Michelle said simply. "It's annoying when they have girlfriends."

"Whatever," Emma grumbled. Michelle just laughed at her.

"Let's get to class. I hate for you to get all grumpy on me before the school day's even started," Michelle told her as the two teenage girls headed for class. Emma only rolled her eyes as Michelle began to ask her if she wanted take out or pizza for their sleepover. Just like that, Emma was suddenly whisked back into her normal life as just an ordinary teenage girl who worried about school and sleepovers.

In the past year Emma had grown to love her normalish and boring life over the superhero alter-ego she was forced to return to when it came to nights and weekends. This was something she would've scoffed at a while ago but now Emma liked normal and boring stuff. She even wished that she was normal and boring like MJ. Not to say that MJ was boring but she was just a normal teenage girl. Emma just sometimes wished that life was different.

It wasn't anything she ever expressed to anyone other than herself.

Emma didn't even like admitting it to herself but secretly Emma was starting to wish that she had no powers. She wished Peter didn't either. Emma never told Peter because she knew how much he liked going out and saving people. He couldn't do that without his abilities to Emma didn't tell him about her inner feelings because she knew it would sound selfish. But she still wished that somehow they didn't have their powers.

It was just her and him with nothing else to worry about.

Not even saving the world or fighting crime.

Somehow Emma knew that she was in love with someone too much like Steve. He wouldn't give up Spider-Man for anything just like Steve couldn't give up Captain America for anything. Emma could never ask Steve to give it up which was why she let him go in the first place. Emma could never ask that of Peter either.

She just wished things were different sometimes.


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note: I finally finished the new chapter. I'm so proud of myself because I've been working on it forever. I always apologize for taking so long so I'm not going to apologize again. School has been really stressful and I've been really busy. I also got into an accident at work so it's just been a tough start to the year. I can't believe that I've finally updated the story and it's already the end of the quarter at school. It's so scary to think that it's almost over and I'll be graduating in June. I literally went back to school a year ago and it's passed by so fast.**

**I also finally managed to find time to see the new Harley Quinn movie which is surprising since I go to school five days a week. It was really good and I loved it a lot more than Suicide Squad. It's kind of sad that it didn't do that well at the box office. I really recommend it if anyone was thinking about seeing it. It was everything and more that I wanted to see in a superhero movie. **

**I'm well aware that the editing was crap on the last chapter. I think I was half asleep when I went through and edited the chapter. Everyone was too nice to say anything but I know it was sloppy and I'm going back to fix it right now. I just haven't had any time to myself lately. **

**This story already has over two hundred followers and favorites and we're only a couple chapters in so thank you. I really appreciate it. I just want to say that I know the story's been fairly light hearted and full of fluff so far but next chapter is going to kind of dive into more serious material or some more angst before we get into the Ragnarok storyline. For those of you who are curious about the Ragnarok storyline, I kind of have an outline for the first fifteen chapters of the story and Ragnarok won't start until around chapter nine or ten. I'm pretty positive about this since I already have an outline for every chapter up until Infinity War which I don't have any outline for yet. Just know it won't be too long of a wait before the storyline gets back into the movies. It's been a while. I don't think I've written a movie's storyline into this story since Spider-Man: Homecoming which was such a long time ago. I'm really excited and I have a lot of plans in store.**

**A little warning for this chapter. There's not really a smut scene in this chapter but there's almost one so just be aware. It will probably be the last somewhat mature scene for a long time. I just don't feel the need to write a smut scene for every single chapter of the story because I feel like it would be repetitive and tiring after a while. That's just my experience from stories I've read before. **

**Thanks again for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. Please let me know what you think of the chapter. **

* * *

Emma used to never care about birthdays.

It was just another day in her life and not a big deal. Sure, she was a year older and Emma loved that because it meant that it was one year closer in being taken seriously as an _almost _adult. Other than that, she never really cared for birthdays. Especially not the stupid birthday parties Tony always threw for her. Emma knew it was his way of compensating for all the missed birthdays she had but Emma wasn't a birthday person.

That being said, things had changed in the past year or so.

Now that Emma had a life of her own with friends and her own thing going on, birthdays weren't so bad anymore. It didn't help that Emma had an adoring boyfriend who made a super big deal about her birthday. As much as Emma pretended to find it annoying, she really didn't. Peter had really softened her in the year since they started dating.

What an asshole.

"Here's the birthday girl!" Peter exclaimed as Emma walked down the hallway at school. A couple people turned their heads in Emma and Peter's direction but returned to whatever they were doing when they realized it was just Peter Parker and Emma Lewis being their mushy selves. Emma glared at the phone Peter stuck in her face. The idiot loved recording everything as it would seem.

"Fuck off, Parker," Emma said, looking unamused by his enthusiasm although deep down she thought he was adorable.

"You're so beautiful this very fine morning. Well, you're beautiful everyday but you know what I mean," Peter rambled on and Emma shook her head. "It's too bad you already have a boyfriend."

"Don't worry. I was going to dump his ass anyways. He's the most annoying person in the world," Emma joked and Peter playfully glared at her. "I think I could do way better. He's such a fucking little nerd. You know, he still plays with his Star Wars dolls?"

"You're not funny," Peter told her as he continued filming Emma in the hallway. "How does it feel to be seventeen now?"

"Good. Just one more year until I can move far away from Tony and never have to see his ugly face again," Emma said sarcastically and Peter rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"Well, I'm excited about today because it's my favorite day of the entire year," Peter told her and Emma raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why is that?" She inquired and Peter just gave her a goofy smile.

"Because seventeen years ago today the best person to ever grace the face of the earth was born," Peter bragged and Emma scoffed but she couldn't help but blush at Peter's cheesiness.

"You're such a suck up, Parker," Emma told him.

"I'm being serious. It's a historic date to me because my favorite person was born on this day," Peter continued told her and Emma laughed. Peter finally put his phone back into his pocket and held up a white paper bag up to her once they reached Emma's locker.

"What is this?" Emma questioned as she cautiously took the bag from him. He just grinned at her.

"It's a birthday cupcake. I would've gotten you an actual birthday cake but Mr. Stark already put an order in for a huge one this weekend when we celebrate your birthday at the compound with everyone else," Peter explained to her as Emma took a delicious looking chocolate cupcake out of the bag. It was a little bit smooshed because Peter was never known to be gentle or careful with fragile things. He blushed at the state of the cupcake but Emma just smirked at him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ruin it or anything."

"I'm going to eat it anyways, Parker. It doesn't make a difference to me," Emma said before carefully placing the sugary treat back inside the paper bag. "I guess I found my lunch."

"I think you mean your dessert after you eat an actual healthy and substantial meal for a teenage super soldier like yourself," Peter scolded and Emma rolled her eyes at the dork.

"Yes, _Steve_. I promise to eat all my fruits and veggies like the good girl I am," Emma said sarcastically. Peter just smiled and shook his head. She always called him Steve whenever she thought he was acting too much like her grandfather. "Are you going to tuck me in tonight too? Read me a bedtime story and all that?"

"Are you talking about birthday sex or are you still referring to the Steve thing?" Peter asked, trying to decipher Emma's weird sense of humor. They had been together for over a year now and Peter still didn't completely understand his girlfriend most of the time. She was a complex puzzle he was sure he would never solve. "Because I would be completely okay with coming over tonight after our Spider Viper business if you want. I mean, you did certain things for me on my birthday so it's only fair if I return the favor. Not that I want to do it just to return the favor because anything with you is really enjoyable for me but-"

"Anything I want?" Emma asked as she interrupted her boyfriend's nervous rambling. Peter stared at her, taken by surprise at the innocent look on her face. Peter knew her well enough to know the innocent look on her face was never actually innocent. It meant she was up to her usual mischief.

"Uh…sure," Peter said, sounding unsure. He wished more than anything he knew what went on in her head. Peter didn't know whether to be afraid or excited by the look on her face. "W-What do you have in mind?"

"You'll see," Emma said mysteriously before she continued on her way to her first class of the day. Peter furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He then hurried after her, desperate to figure out what his girlfriend meant by her cryptic statement.

"I'll see what? What will I see?!"

* * *

"Hey, kid. What do you have in the backpack?" A gruff sounding voice said in a menacing way as Peter Parker stood alone in a dark and abandoned alley. He nervously fiddled with the hem of his jacket as he looked at the two creepy looking men who entered the alley. Peter felt weirdly nervous and out of place without his Spider-Man suit but he was trusting Emma with this.

"Uh…nothing," Peter said nervously. It wasn't like he was acting much since Peter was terrified out of his mind. It was strange being out of his Spider-Man suit in a situation like this. He felt vulnerable and weird.

"Probably a nice laptop, Vince," One of the men said to the other one. The man smirked at Peter which made Peter feel uneasy. "He looks like a rich kid."

"Now what's a rich boy like you doing in this place all on his own? You lose your mommy or something, Little Boy," The older man taunted and Peter was starting to get really annoyed at this point. He totally wasn't a rich kid. What screamed rich kid about him? Peter wished he could make one of his smart ass remarks but he knew that wasn't a part of the game. This was apparently Emma's very weird birthday gift so he had to play by her rules.

"No, I'm waiting for a friend," Peter told the man confidently. The two men both seemed amused by Peter's nervous stance. He wasn't nervous because he felt scared or anything. He felt nervous because he had no idea when his girlfriend was coming by or what she was going to do. Peter hoped she didn't go too far.

"I'm sure you are," One of the men said sarcastically. "Well, until your friend comes by, I suggest you hand over the backpack or you might not be here to greet your friend in one piece."

The man then pulled out a small pocket knife and smirked at Peter. Peter tried to pretend to be frightened but he honestly didn't know how a tiny pocket knife was supposed to scare him. Maybe if he was facing someone that actually knew how to use it like Emma's father. Peter was positive he would be scared shitless if Mr. Barnes was waving a knife in front of him but not these two idiots.

"Please don't hurt me!" Peter said pleadingly, trying to put his acting skills to the test. He was sure Emma was a far better actor. Which begged the question why _he_ was the one playing the damsel in distress.

"Just give us the backpack and you won't get hurt," One of the men told Peter. Peter kept glancing up towards the top of the buildings. Where the hell was Emma? "What the hell are you looking at, kid?"

"I'm just trying to find my friend," Peter said confidently when he saw a figure fly through the darkness and disappear into the shadows.

Looks like she finally made it.

It took her long enough.

"What friend? I-" The man started to say but he never finished his sentence as a large book with yellow pages went flying through the air and hit the man's head causing him to fly back from the force. He hit his head against a dumpster and fell unconscious. The other man looked up in shock at the new person who entered the alley. There was no questioning about who that person was. The Viper Assassin and Spider-Man had become the bane of every criminal in Queens' existence.

Only tonight Viper seemed to be without her red and blue spandex clad counterpart.

"Did you just hit him with a phone book?" The other criminal questioned as he glanced between the superhero and his friend. Viper cocked her head to the side as if she were confused.

"What the fuck is a phone book? I just found that in the garbage," Viper remarked before noticing the way the man kept glancing the pocket knife his friend had dropped on the ground. "I wouldn't pick up that knife if I were you. I have a knife too but my mine's a lot bigger than yours. I'm not afraid to spill a little blood. It's of little consequence to me."

"Where's Spidey, anyways? You two having a lover's quarrel?" The man said smugly although Peter saw the way he was trembling. Viper smirked at him.

"I gave Spider-Man the night off," Viper said nonchalantly although the sinister look on her face said otherwise. The look on her face terrified the man but it excited Peter. Peter took a good look at his powerful and terrifying girlfriend. God, she was so hot when she was being scary and intimidating. Peter's eyes lingered over her body, admiring the way the skin tight cat suit she wore hugged her body in all the right places. Peter could've stared at her all day in her Viper suit. "I guess you're stuck with me."

"I have rights, you know. You can't just attack us like this-" He started to tell the blonde superhero before a cloud of green mist hit his face. His speech slurred and his eyes fluttered shut as he passed out before unceremoniously falling to the ground. Viper put her arm down when she was done spraying her Viper Venom at him.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want," Emma muttered, rolling her eyes as the idiot passed out on the ground. She then glanced over at the brown eyed boy who was staring at her with something akin to desire. "Are you alright?"

"Thanks to you I am," Peter told the former assassin. She walked closer to him…closer than she would to an actual bystander.

"You're not injured or anything? You don't need to go to the hospital?" Emma asked him softly. It was something she noticed that Peter always asked the people they helped. Emma always figured the job was done when they stopped the assholes doing the harm. However, she wanted to do the whole hero thing the right way. Peter shook his head.

"I'm completely fine," Peter reassured her. "Not a scratch on me."

Emma nodded before she immediately went over with two pairs of handcuffs and cuffed the two low level criminals to the dumpster in the alley. Peter watched her quietly, wondering if maybe he should help her. He usually did so it felt weird just standing there watching her.

"Do you need some webbing? Maybe that would be easier?" Peter suggested but Emma brushed off his remark.

"I don't know why you, a random stranger in an alley, would have webbing," Emma told him as she finally finished cuffing the two men and turned around to look at him. "Only Spider-Man has webbing."

"Right," Peter said as Emma stared at him expectantly. He suddenly remembered what he was supposed to say to her. "Thanks for saving my life, Viper. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"It was nothing. I'm just doing my job of saving high school nerds from idiotic muggers," Emma told him and Peter scoffed.

"I don't know why you always have to call me a nerd. Why is that a thing?" Peter questioned, breaking character and Emma shrugged.

"Your nerdiness really turns me on," Emma said as if it were that simple.

"Emma, do we have to keep doing this? I feel really awkward," Peter whined and Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"You said we could do whatever I wanted for my birthday," Emma reminded him. "We did whatever you wanted for your birthday in case you forgot."

"You said you liked that," Peter argued and Emma sighed.

"Of course, I liked it and I promise you'll like this too," Emma told him sincerely and Peter felt his heart skip a beat from the smugness on her face. It told him she had plans for tonight. Peter swallowed hard. "Are you still going to play?"

"Viper…how can I ever repay you? I'm just a high school nerd with no money to my name," Peter said as he began to read the lines Emma wrote for him off his phone. "All I have is my trumpet from marching band and my graphing calculator-seriously? Graphing calculator? I'm not this nerdy."

"I think I can think of a couple different ways you can repay me," Emma said before she held out her arms. "Since you're so grateful for my heroic endeavors."

"Emma, I'm not sure about this," Peter said nervously as he stared at his girlfriend.

"I won't drop you," Emma promised and Peter sighed tiredly.

"That's not what I'm worried about. Promise that Mr. Stark won't ever find out about this. He'll never let me forget it," Peter begged Emma who only laughed.

"Yes, Peter because I was fully planning on giving Tony all the dirty details of our sex life," Emma said sarcastically and Peter reluctantly let her pick him up bridal style. He blushed as Emma smirked at him in amusement. She was always amused by his antics.

"This is embarrassing," Peter complained loudly. "If Flash sees me like this-"

"Flash would be jealous. Although…he'd probably prefer Spider-Man to swing him around the city instead of Viper," Emma teased and Peter scoffed.

"You're not as funny as you think you are-oh my god-" Peter's eyes widened as he felt Emma's feet leave the ground. It took him a minute before he realized they were well above the top of the buildings. If this what it felt like to really fly? Peter thought swinging around the city with his webbing was the same thing but now he could see that it wasn't. There was a grace and movement that came with flying that he had never experienced. Peter wondered why Emma didn't fly that often. He supposed she felt like hand-to-hand combat was her strong suit and that's what she was more comfortable with but if Peter could fly he would fly everyday.

"This is amazing and terrifying at the same time," Peter said although he had to kind of shout over the loudness of the wind whipping against their faces. His eyes sparkled in the reflection of all the lights shining through the darkness of the city. New York had never looked more beautiful to him. "Why don't we do this all the time? This is so cool!"

"You have your webs. I always assumed it was the same thing," Emma told him but Peter just shook his head. In awe of the weightlessness flying felt like. It wasn't anything like using his webs. There was always a feeling like falling before lifting himself up into the air again. It was like full fledged free falling. This was different. It didn't feel like falling at all. It felt like a dream and Peter never envied Emma for her powers but he did in that second. It was the most beautiful feeling. Peter couldn't even fully describe it. It felt like anything was possible…like they could even fly to the moon and back if they wanted to.

"It's not the same. It's nowhere near the same," Peter told her as he continued staring at the city beneath them in awe. Emma laughed but focused on the path in front of them to avoid hitting a building. "We should fly above the clouds. Just to see what it looks like up there. We could even fly to somewhere warmer like Florida or California-"

"I'm not an airplane," Emma said, sounding thoroughly amused by her boyfriend's rambling. "I'm pretty sure I would sleep for a week if I flew all the way to California. I'll probably sleep hard tonight after this. Well, probably from the sex too because you're too much, Parker."

"Right…" Peter said, blushing from Emma's remark. "You're really cool, you know that? I don't know if I've ever told you that but I've always thought that since we first met. You're the coolest person ever. Way too cool for me."

"And you're the dorkiest person I've ever met. You're the king of the dorks but that's a compliment because you know how I feel about your dorkiness," Emma told him and Peter smiled at her as he gazed at her.

She looked so beautiful under the moonlight. Her blonde hair was flying all over the place but it didn't look messy or anything. It always annoyed Peter how effortless and graceful she was. Peter was type of person to trip over his own feet but if Emma ever did that, she would make it look cool. Peter loved her with his entire being. He knew she didn't think she was perfect but in Peter's eyes she was. She could never do anything wrong in his opinion. For that reason, he wished they both could be this way forever.

He knew people always said high school sweethearts never lasted but Peter was sure that wasn't the case for him and Emma. Mostly because he couldn't imagine his life with anyone else except her. Peter didn't want to imagine being with anyone else. No one else would even compare to Emma. It was part of the reason he was scared that someday she was going to realize how lame and boring he was and dump him for someone more interesting and cool. Someone who liked all the old movies she did, someone who listened to the sad songs she did, someone who read the brooding Victorian era novels, and just someone who could keep up with her intellectually.

Peter just feared someday she would realize all this and leave.

"We're here," Emma announced as they approached the fire escape outside her bedroom window. Peter tightened his arms a bit around her neck as she landed the both of them on the fire escape. "Peter, we're not in the air anymore. You can let go now."

"Oh," Peter said, feeling a little silly. He probably looked dumb to Emma as he remained in her arms. He finally let go as Emma helped him to his feet.

"Was the carrying you thing a mood killer?" Emma asked randomly as she stared at him with those inquisitive blue eyes of hers. He always felt breathless whenever she stared at him like that. She had a way of making him feel important and the center of the universe whenever she stared at him like that. "Because we can just watch a movie or something."

"Nothing you do is a mood killer," Peter told her a little too quickly. He thought it was crazy that she thought he would ever turn down sex. That just wasn't going to happen. Not even in a parallel universe.

"Good," Emma said, smirking at him as she opened the window of her bedroom. She bent down to climb inside and Peter eyes drifted to her ass. He couldn't really help but let his eyes linger since she was wearing her Viper suit. The suit always clung to her body like a second skin. As if she knew Peter was staring at her, she broke him out of his dumbstruck state. "Aren't you coming inside, Nerd?"

"Uh…yeah. Definitely," Peter said dumbly as he moved his feet to follow her. He nearly stumbled over the window's ledge but somehow he made it into Emma's bedroom without falling on his face. He knew his reflexes were amazing but not even being Spider-Man shielded him from being the clumsy dork he still was around his girlfriend.

"It's Viper to you," Emma told him seriously once they stood face-to-face in her dark bedroom that was only illuminated by the moonlight. Darcy was probably working in Jane's lab still so she wouldn't be home for a while which meant…Emma and Peter had the place to themselves. Emma honestly didn't know why Darcy or Tony were so casual about leaving her home alone all the time. She had a boyfriend and she was a teenager. That was basically asking for trouble.

"Oh, we're back to the superhero/damsel thing? Okay? Just let me think for a second," Peter said awkwardly as he tried to come up with something to say. "Um…Wow, Viper, your place is so nice. I feel so safe here with you. Especially after you just heroically saved me from…shit, I'm trying to think of a really scary and creepy super villain."

"Pick someone sexy," Emma suggested and Peter gave her a horrified look.

"Someone sexy? A bad guy?" Peter said in disbelief. "Bad guys aren't sexy. They're gross and evil looking."

"They _can _be sexy…" Emma said as she shrugged.

"No, I'm picking Ultron," Peter told her and Emma wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Ew! Don't pick Ultron. He was like a evil robot version of Tony. Gross," Emma protested in disgust. "The sexiest thing about him was that he'd probably potentially work as a vibrator but more like a vibrator you find in a dumpster after it broke after being used one too many times. He was a trash vibrator."

"That's gross," Peter told her and Emma nodded furiously.

"That's the point I'm getting across," Emma said in response and Peter groaned.

"I don't get why this is such an important part of the conversation but fine," Peter said in frustration. He didn't understand how Emma and him could start arguing out of nowhere like this. He also didn't understand why it turned him on so much. "You pick the bad guy."

"Loki," Emma was quick to answer and Peter narrowed his eyes.

"Why did you answer that so fast?" Peter asked suspiciously and Emma held his gaze which she was always good at. She was never one to back down.

"I don't know what you mean," Emma said innocently and Peter scoffed.

"You have a thing for Loki. You always have," Peter accused. Emma shrugged nonchalantly.

"As far as evil assholes go, Loki's not bad to look at," Emma admitted and Peter huffed angrily. He was jealous and Emma always loved a jealous Peter. He was hot whenever he got all frustrated and huffy like that. Emma rested her hands on his shoulders as she looked him in the eyes. "Parker, you don't have to get all jealous. Loki's probably dead and he's also an alien from a space kingdom. You're a very much alive man in my bedroom. Not to mention way hotter than Loki's pasty white ass."

"You always say the most romantic things," Peter said sarcastically although he really did appreciate the way referred to him as a man. She was the first one who had ever really called him a man instead of a kid or boy.

"I'm really not romantic but you know what I mean. So let's get back to the game and you can take my clothes off and fuck me before Darcy gets home," Emma told him bluntly and Peter blushed at her crude words. She really loved his bashfulness and innocence. This boy had done sinful things to her over and over again yet he blushed because Emma asked him to fuck her.

"You not being romantic is the understatement of the year," Peter told her but he grinned at her nonetheless before clearing his throat as he tried to get back into the weird game Emma wanted to play. "Okay, so you saved me and all that. You saved from an evil villain-right, Loki. That's where we were at. You saved me from the ugly and vile villain Loki. In fact, you killed Loki in order to save me which I'm eternally grateful for. Loki's dead now. He's never coming back."

"Fine. I killed Loki," Emma finally relented much to Peter's satisfaction. "You're welcome. God, could you imagine if I killed Loki? That would be so cool. Not even Steve or Tony could kill Loki. That would be the equivalent of Catwoman killing the Joker. Batman couldn't get shit done so Catwoman did his job for him."

"You actually remember who Catwoman and the Joker are?" Peter asked excitedly and Emma suddenly remembered she was too cool to be a nerd like him. She collected herself and cleared her throat.

"Shut up and worship me for saving your scrawny ass," Emma told him as she gave him a serious look. Peter just smiled at her, proud that she was actually paying attention to all the Batman films he made her watch.

"I'm so proud of you," Peter told her as his girlfriend rolled her eyes. He then resumed the game they were playing once more. "I want to show you my thanks for saving your life. It's the least I can do."

Emma giggled and Peter looked at her in confusion.

"What?" He questioned and Emma tried to stifle her laughter but it was more difficult than she thought. She shook her head.

"It's nothing," She said before caving in when Peter just stared at her. "You just sound like one of those porn guys. It sounds so corny. You're such a bad actor, Parker."

"You're the one who wanted to do this," Peter complained. At this point he was frustrated with her antics. Emma was the one who wanted to play this weird game. On Peter's birthday he was more than thrilled with just a blowjob and a couple rounds of sex. Maybe he was just simple and Emma was more imaginative than him. "I thought we were just going to have a normal night together. Like, I was going to go down on you and then we'd do the other stuff. Then we'd cuddle and watch a movie. I didn't realize this was the Oscars and I was going to be critiqued for my acting."

"I love how we've been having sex for almost five months now and you still can't say the word sex," Emma told him, ignoring the rest of what he said. Peter stared at her silently. He really didn't know how she could piss him off this much. Peter wasn't an angry person but somehow Emma could bring that out in him.

"I swear to god I'm going to kill you. You drive me insane-" Peter said in frustration but was interrupted as Emma grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Peter's frustration immediately melted as he felt her lips against his. He sighed contently as Emma passionately kissed him. Peter felt drunk on her lips when she finally pulled away to look at him with a small smile on her face.

"I was just kidding, Parker. You know how I love to rile you up," Emma told him sincerely as tucked a loose strand of his hair behind his ear adoringly. "Thank you for trying. We don't need to do all the weird hero dynamic stuff. I just want you for my birthday. Nothing else."

"Oh, no," Peter said and Emma stared in wonder at the mischievous look in his eyes. "You didn't annoy me this much for nothing. We're going to finish the weird game and you're not going to complain anymore about my acting or anything else."

"Really?" Emma asked as she raised an eyebrow. She was very interested in the new confidence that came over Peter. It was only when she pushed him this far that he got like this. He nodded.

"Let me thank you for saving me, Viper," Peter said smugly before he pulled her in for another kiss. Emma's eyes fluttered shut from his sudden and unexpected move. Peter's fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her closer to him. She felt his tongue sweep across her bottom lip. It was his own way of begging for entry and she more than willingly as she deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue in. His tongue clashed against hers as he kissed her roughly. Emma loved it when he was sweet and gentle with her but she also loved it when he was a little more intense too.

Peter immediately paused for a second to quickly take off her mask and toss it away. It was getting much too in the way for his liking. The teenage boy then returned his attention to his girlfriend but this time he paid more attention to her neck, planting kisses along the length of it before nipping and sucking at a certain spot he knew Emma could never resist. Her head tilt back to allow him more access and she tangled her fingers in his soft and thick brown hair. Peter immediately began to pull the zipper on the front of her catsuit down as he pulled away from her neck to catch his breath.

"I've always wanted to do this," Peter said, his breathing heavy as he yanked the zipper down. Emma didn't know what he meant at first until she realized he was probably talking about taking the Viper suit off her. He started pulling the suit off once he got it unzipped, her boots going with it. Emma found it weirdly hot the way he kneeled down at her feet to take her boots off. He quickly stood back up to meet her face to face but not before giving her a quick once over. Peter groaned as he stared at her. "Fuck, you're so gorgeous. I can't believe you're mine. I feel like I'm going to wake up any second and it'll all be a dream."

"But I'm not yours. I'm Spider-Man's, remember?" Emma whispered back to him, a teasing look in her eyes. She then yelped in surprise when Peter suddenly picked her up like she weighed nothing and carried her over to the bed where he deposited her. She laughed as he just about jumped on top of her in eagerness for their night together. Emma just couldn't believe she actually yelped. She had probably never done such a thing in her life.

"You always have to have the last word, don't you?" Peter teased her and kissed her before she could retort. Emma moaned into the kiss. He really knew how to get her quiet. Peter then began to unclasp her bra as he led a trail of kisses down her body. This time he didn't struggle getting it off like the first time they had sex. Peter was really good at it these days. One time he even broke her bra with how hard he yanked on it. He was always ruining her clothes one way or another. She would've murdered anyone else for doing that but Emma didn't care when Peter did it.

"Me? You're always the one r-running your mouth," Emma stumbled through her words when Peter kissed the top of her breasts.

"There's other things I'd rather do with my mouth," Peter flirted before moving down and taking one of her breasts into his mouth. Emma's tightened her grip in his hair and Peter moaned around her as he gently squeezed the other one with his hand.

"You're so fucking cheesy at flirting, Parker. I-I swear you must get this stuff from eighties porn," Emma stuttered as Peter seemed currently glued to her chest. He ignored her as he finally moved away from her chest and started kissing down the length of her body. Trailing kisses down her toned stomach and Emma knew where he was heading so she stopped him as his fingers traced the hem of her underwear.

"Wait! Stop," Emma said loudly as she tried to fight the urge to let Peter keep going. Peter immediately stopped, his eyes widening as he looked up at Emma. He worried if he hadn't been gentle enough with her and triggered something in her past. However, Emma didn't look scared as she looked at him. She actually looked shy.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Peter asked in concern, wanting to make sure she was alright. His eyes swept over her to try and see if maybe he accidentally injured her. Peter was always scared of his super strength. Emma was strong too but Peter was still a lot stronger than her. It would be easy for him to forget himself and grab her too hard. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, nothing like that," Emma reassured him quickly. She knew how worried Peter was about hurting her. It was both endearing and annoying. Endearing because he was probably the only person who thought she was capable of getting hurt like that. Annoying because she didn't want him to be careful with her.

"What is it then?" Peter asked her again and Emma blushed.

"I just want you," Emma told him and Peter felt himself twitch in his pants at her words. "I don't think I can wait another minute. I want you right now."

"What about-" Peter started to question.

"You can do that later. I just want to be with you," Emma told him and Peter blushed at the lust in her darker than usual blue eyes. He nodded slowly as he obeyed her. It was her birthday but he would've done what she wanted anyways. He felt more comfortable with Emma instigating everything in their sex life because it put him at ease. Peter didn't feel like he had to worry about hurting or scaring her when she had all the control.

"It is your birthday, after all," Peter agreed as he took his shirt off. Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm sorry it's such a chore for you to fuck me, Parker," Emma told him and Peter grinned at her. He was such a fucking dork sometimes. Emma couldn't believe she actually let him into her bed. Well, there was a million reasons why but he could be really annoying sometimes.

"As a true American patriot, it's the least I can do," Peter bragged as he unbuttoned his jeans and then began to take them off. Lifting his hips off the bed to do so as he kicked them to the floor. Emma stared at him blankly, not getting his joke at first. "You know…because you're Captain America's granddaughter and all."

Emma was silent for a moment. The look on her face was clearly not amused and Peter's grin faded when he realized that maybe he really pissed Emma off. He really hoped she wasn't pissed off enough to kick him out of bed. She did that once before when he was wearing his Captain America themed boxers. If Peter knew they were going to have sex that day then he definitely wouldn't have worn them. Emma literally ripped the boxers off of him, grabbed a pair of scissors, and tore them to shreds before quietly walking back to bed like nothing happened. She was quiet the rest of the night much to Peter's bewilderment. His girlfriend was crazy but maybe he was crazy too for being so in love with her.

"I'm two seconds from kicking your scrawny ass out of here, Parker. Change my mind," Emma told him before Peter pulled her passionately in for another kiss. She immediately shut up and forgot about Peter even mentioning Steve. So maybe she could forget about Peter's lame joke this one time.

Just this once.

* * *

"I'm going to have to head back to May's soon but I don't want to. I want to sleep in this bed with you forever," Peter whined as he ran his fingers through Emma's hair. She was curled up against him, really tired because Peter really knew how to wear her out. Emma had an above average stamina but Peter was way beyond her in regards to superhero stamina.

"You're so clingy, Parker," Emma mumbled as she cuddled against him. He was always so warm and Emma liked using him as a pillow. Peter smiled at her.

"Why? Does that annoy you?" Peter asked her and Emma shook her head.

"Of course not," Emma told him and Peter chuckled. He then frowned when something suddenly occurred to him. He couldn't believe he forgot about something so important.

"Wait! I forgot to give you your birthday present," Peter exclaimed as he quickly got up from the bed and Emma fell face first into a pillow. She glared at her boyfriend who was putting his boxers back on. He seemed to be oblivious to the fact that he basically pushed his girlfriend to the side so there was no point in arguing with him about it. Emma, instead, just watched him rifle through his backpack.

"Wow…you mean your present to me wasn't your penis? I'm so impressed, Peter," Emma said sarcastically as she remained in bed. "What a generous boyfriend I have. I'm the luckiest girl in the world. A boyfriend who fucks my brains out and then actually gives me a present afterwards. You're really raising the bar for boyfriends everywhere."

"I can't wait to see your face when you see what it is. You're going to regret not being nicer to me because I actually _am_ the best boyfriend in the world," Peter told her before he finally found the envelope he was looking for. "Here it is."

Peter happily raced back to the bed and jumped into it, causing Emma to jerk back from the force of his weight. Emma raised an eyebrow at him, seeming curious as she hesitantly took the envelope from him. Peter's excited look made her wonder about what he wanted her to see so badly.

"This better not be free hug coupons. You gave those to me last Valentine's day," Emma told him and Peter blushed. "Tony tried to steal and use one on me. His shoulder still isn't quite in the same position as it used to be.

"Well, I didn't have a job then. You're not one to judge either. You baked me burnt brownies," Peter retorted and Emma shrugged. He had a point. "Now shut up and open the present."

"Fine, fine. Just calm down," Emma told him before she did as he demanded. He seemed really intent on her opening his present so Emma decided to just to make him happy. She tore open the envelope and took out the card that was inside.

It was a decorative Happy Birthday card and to Emma's annoyance, it was bright pink with Barbie on the front. It said in big letters 'Happy Birthday to a Special Girl' and Emma immediately glared at her boyfriend who was holding in a laugh.

"You're not funny, Parker," Emma told him and Peter smirked at her.

"I thought it was the perfect card because Barbie kind of looks like you," Peter told her and Emma scoffed.

"I don't look like Barbie," Emma hissed at him and Peter shrugged.

"You have blonde hair, don't you?" Peter shot back and she didn't really have a response for that. She just glowered at him before returning her attention to the card.

"You're lucky we already had sex tonight," She muttered to herself before she opened the card. Peter had written a small message inside with his messy handwriting.

_To Emma,_

_Today's my favorite day because it's my favorite person in the world's birthday today and I personally think it should be a national holiday but since it's not, I hope you'll be okay with just celebrating it with me. I want to give you everything in the world but since I'm only seventeen and stupidly convinced Tony to only pay me $13.00 an hour, this will have to due for now. _

_Happy Birthday!_

_Love, Peter_

Emma then looked at the two slips of paper that had been tucked inside the bright pink card. At first she didn't know what they were but when she closely inspected the small print on each slip of paper she quickly realized what they were. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked back at Peter.

"Haim? Are these actually Haim concert tickets?" Emma asked in disbelief as she stared at the concert tickets. Peter nodded excitedly, happy that Emma already seemed so thrilled with his gift.

"Yes. They went on sale a couple months ago and I got them the second they went on sale," Peter told her and Emma tore her gaze away from the tickets to look at him.

"Peter, you didn't have to buy these," Emma told him and Peter furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why? You don't like them?" He asked her and Emma shook her head.

"Of course I love them. Haim is my favorite band but it must've been expensive and I know you've been trying to save money for college," Emma said. She knew she came off as selfish and not very caring which was true to a certain extent but not when it came to Peter. Emma knew how important college was to him and she didn't want him wasting his money buying her things.

"It wasn't that expensive so I'll be fine," Peter reassured her and Emma raised an eyebrow. Peter sighed. "Fine. For both of us it was barely over a hundred dollars."

"Peter-" Emma started to say but he quickly interrupted her.

"And it's general admission so as long as we get there early, we can be in the front row. It's not really expensive compared to other concert tickets. You should see how expensive Lorde concert tickets are. You'd die from shock," Peter quickly rambled on and Emma started calming down. She supposed he had a point. Other concerts must've been way more expensive than that. "I know you've never been to a concert and you love music so I thought this would be fun for us. I mean, the last time I went to a concert I think it was a Bruce Springsteen concert my uncle took me to when I was five so I barely remember it."

"That and you probably don't know who Bruce Springsteen is," Emma retorted and Peter glared at her playfully.

"Yes, I do," He said convincingly as he tried to prove to Emma that he knew musicians from decades prior to the one they were currently in. "He sings that Jessie's Girl song."

"That's Rick Springfield," Emma deadpanned and Peter rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I just want us to have fun away from the Spider Viper stuff and I think this concert will be a lot of fun," Peter told her, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. "This is your favorite band and I love them too. We'll go to the concert and that night will just be about us. No Spider Viper business. I promise. Just two teenagers having fun."

"Really?" Emma said as if she couldn't believe it. It wasn't often that they did fun things like that. Especially now that they had a bit more responsibility thanks to Tony. They only got special occasions off from crime fighting.

Emma didn't want to admit it to Peter but she was starting to grow tired of all the crime fighting. She knew how much Peter loved helping people and saving the day but Emma was starting to get tired of it. Not that she hated her job as Viper but she found herself growing more and more attached to her life as Emma Rogers instead of her life as Viper. It was ironic because there used to be a time where it was the opposite but Emma liked being normal. She used to sneer at the very thought but that was before she made a life for herself outside the life she once knew.

Was it odd that Emma was quickly growing bored of beating up asshole after asshole ever night? It was something that used to bring her joy but now Emma found joy in a book or just spending an evening watching movies with Peter. She liked doing homework with MJ and teasing Ned. Emma even liked Academic Decathlon more than she liked going out and stopping a bunch of petty thieves.

Emma was afraid to tell Peter any of us because she thought he'd be hurt by it…that he would think that she wanted to quit which wasn't true. Emma didn't want to quit being the Viper. She just didn't want to be Viper every night. Some nights she wanted to stay home and watch Netflix with her boyfriend.

"Yes. I'll tell Mr. Stark that we're taking the night off like we did on our anniversary and we'll have fun at the concert," Peter promised her and Emma smiled.

"Thank you for the tickets, Peter. I really love them," Emma told him sincerely as she put thoughts about Viper away. "You're too good to me. No one has ever taken me to a concert before and I can't believe I'm going to be seeing Danielle, Alana, and Este in person. It feels like a dream."

"There's no such thing as being _too_ good to you. You deserve this," Peter said as he looked at his girlfriend adoringly, more than pleased that she loved the concert tickets. "I know it's not a lot but someday I'm going buy you so many things. When we're older I'll take you to concerts whenever you want."

"Peter, you don't have buy me anything. I only want you," Emma told him before she leaned over and pressed her lips against his. Peter eagerly returned the kiss. He then paused briefly, resting his forehead against hers.

"I just want to make you happy. You deserve to be happy," Peter told her softly and Emma smiled.

"I'm happy as long as we're together," Emma reassured him because it was true. Peter made her overwhelmingly happy. Even if she was having an off day, one of his smiles always seemed to take the pain away. His own happiness was infectious and it was one of the many reasons Emma loved him. "We could be living in a rat infested apartment with a creepy landlord someday and I would still be as happy as I could ever be."

"I hope we never live anywhere with rats," Peter told her and Emma shrugged with a small smile on her face.

"I think living anywhere together would be fun," Emma said in response and Peter just shook his head in amusement although Emma was being really serious deep down. Recently she started fantasizing about a life in which she and Peter were trapped in a tiny, crappy apartment. The AC would go out during the summer and a grown up Emma and Peter would stand by the open door of the freezer to keep cool for a few seconds at a time while they waited for the land lord to fix it.

Okay…so maybe Emma had been watching way too much _New Girl _with Darcy but she really liked the idea of her life becoming more like Jessica Day's life instead of Wonder Woman's life. Not that Emma was saying she wanted to be a school teacher by any means. She just craved the sort of calmness and trivialness of Jess's life versus her own. The toughest thing Jess and Nick worried about on _New Girl _was whether or not Winston was taking selfies with his cat Ferguson again.

Emma's own life was a little more dramatic than that.

"I hope we live in a really cool loft somewhere in the city so you can have the right lighting for your art," Peter said nonchalantly, silently telling her that he thought about domestic bliss all the time too. "If it's only one bedroom then who cares. It'll just be us."

"That sounds amazing," Emma said softly, picturing the loft that Peter mentioned. She could almost see it too. Emma would be working on a project for the class at the art school she was attending while Peter laid on his stomach on floor with all his physics textbooks out in front of him as he studied for midterms. They'd order take-out and spend the night discussing what happened at school that day before they'd retire for the evening and fall asleep in each other's arms.

This was the type of domestic bliss that Emma wanted more than anything else.

It felt like a dream and she hoped that someday it could become more than one.

"So you like the present?" Peter asked her, changing the subject back to the concert tickets. Emma smiled.

"Of course I love the tickets. I can't wait until we get to go to the actual concert," Emma said sincerely, feeling her excitement return. "Do you think if we really get there early we could be in the front row? We could be that close to them?"

"Maybe three hours early," Peter told her, looking amused by how excited she was at the prospect of seeing Danielle, Alana, and Este up close. He couldn't remember ever seeing his girlfriend this excited and it was truly a sight to behold. Peter wasn't sure initially how she would react to the concert tickets but now he knew he made the right choice.

Emma was about to respond to Peter when she was suddenly interrupted by her phone going off. She looked at her phone on the nightstand in puzzlement because she wasn't sure who would be calling her this late. It was only when she glanced over at the phone and saw Steve's name that she realized it was her grandfather trying to facetime her. Emma's eyes widened as she looked back at Peter.

"What is it?" He questioned, seeing the worried look on her face.

"It's Steve," She told him and Peter smiled.

"Aw…he's calling to wish you a happy birthday," Peter said, finding Steve's motherly nature sweet as always. Emma scoffed.

"Yeah, he's facetiming me…right now while I'm naked after having sex on my birthday with my boyfriend still naked in bed with me," Emma stated and Peter quickly realized why her grandfather calling her right now might be a bad thing. He blushed and started feeling very panicked as he checked the room for his clothes.

"Right…this is bad. Really bad," Peter said nervously and Emma nodded. Steve was technically aware of Emma being sexually active but that didn't mean she wanted to flaunt her and Peter's sex life in front of him. She liked to think they were the kind of family that pretended that neither of them had sex while keeping her father completely out of the loop.

"Hand me a shirt," Emma said hurriedly as the phone kept ringing. "He'll lose his shit if I don't answer. Steve will probably think some criminal mastermind kidnapped me and is holding me for ransom. He's dramatic like that."

"I wonder who that reminds me of," Peter said under his breath and Emma glared at him.

"I'm not dramatic!" Emma snapped. Peter rolled his eyes before grabbing his t-shirt from off the floor and handing it to her.

"I never said you were the dramatic person I was thinking of," Peter said defensively and Emma scoffed.

"Yeah, right," Emma said as she slipped the shirt on and Peter stared at her. She gave him a confused look. "What?"

"I like it when you wear my shirts," Peter told her honestly and Emma shrugged.

"I wear your shirts all the time," Emma said in response and Peter blushed.

"I meant that I like you in my shirts and nothing else," Peter said shyly and Emma just shook her head in amusement. "When we have a place together someday you can dress like that all the time if you want…or maybe no clothes at all."

"You're such a little pervert, Parker," Emma told him before shooing him away. "Now get away from me."

"Why?" He asked in confusion and she pointedly glanced at the phone in her hand.

"Because I'm about to talk to Steve and I don't think he'd like to see you in bed with me," Emma informed him and Peter's eyes widened before he scooted away from her in a hurry. Peter supposed she had a good point there. Emma accepted the call when she was sure Peter couldn't be seen.

Steve's face was suddenly on the screen smiling back at her.

"There's my favorite birthday girl," Steve said happily and Emma rolled her eyes. He was so over the top sometimes.

"It's just another day," Emma told him and Steve chuckled.

"You're really starting to sound like Bucky now," Steve said and Emma smiled back at him.

"I thought you were on a mission in Syria. I wasn't expecting a call from you," Emma told him and Steve's gaze softened.

"Of course I'd call my best girl on her birthday," Steve told her and Emma blushed as Peter held in his laughter. She was tempted to glare at the idiot. Of course, he forgot all the mushy nicknames May gave _him_. Idiot. "And I missed you. We haven't talked in a while."

"I miss you too, Steve," Emma said softly. She really did miss Steve. She wished that he had stayed behind with her father but at the same time she knew she could never keep him from his beliefs even if he had been willing to stay.

"Did I wake you up?" Steve asked her curiously and Emma looked at him in confusion.

"No. Why?"

"Your hair's just a bit messy," Steve pointed out and Emma blushed before scoffing. Stupid Parker for messing up her hair. Peter just gave her a sheepish smile.

"What? I always have to look made up all the time?" Emma said sarcastically. "This isn't the old days, Grandpa. You might as well tell me to smile more or put some lipstick on."

"Fine, fine," Steve said quickly, not wanting to argue with his granddaughter. "I just worried that I might've woken you up. I read an article last week that said teenagers need more sleep than adults so I hope you're getting as much sleep as you can."

"Yes, Steve. I'm getting plenty of rest. Don't worry," Emma said tiredly and Peter held in another laugh. He was always amused at the way Steve acted like a mother hen around Emma. It was amusing because Emma wasn't the typical person that got babied by their parents. She felt the temptation to glare at her stupid boyfriend again.

"Is someone there with you? Is Darcy there?" Steve questioned as he squinted his eyes at the screen. Emma stared back at the screen in shock.

"There's no one here. Why would you think that?" Emma told him, not knowing what Steve was getting at.

"I just thought I saw a shadow or something," Steve said slowly as he tried to spot anything behind Emma on the screen. Emma shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe your old man eyes are playing tricks on you," Emma said, giving her grandfather a reassuring smile as Peter looked at her fearfully. "You know…maybe you're right. Darcy did get a cat a month ago. The damn thing must've found it's way into my room. I'll throw it back out onto the fire escape tonight. Animals are disgusting."

"Why are you acting weird?" Steve questioned as he gave his granddaughter a suspicious look. However, Steve wasn't stupid. He started putting two and two together and a disgusted look came over his face. "Oh for God's sake…Peter's there, isn't he?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Steve. Peter's not here," Emma told him as she rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Peter was currently hiding under the covers as if he thought that Steve was going burst into the room at any second. Steve was all the way in Syria so Emma didn't know how Peter thought he would suddenly appear at the apartment and break down the door to kill him.

"I might be old but I'm not stupid," Steve said, sounding more annoyed than angry about what his granddaughter and her boyfriend were up to. "I know Peter's there."

"Peter's in bed with her?" Sam said as he popped up alongside Steve on the screen. He laughed at Emma and Steve. She suddenly realized why her father found him to be so annoying. "Looks like you were interrupting Peter's birthday surprise for Emma. Cap, you ole' cockblocker."

"Shut up," Steve told him sternly before glaring at his granddaughter. "Emma, I can't believe you have Peter over this late on a school night. Where is Darcy? Does Darcy allow this under her roof? What's next? Is Peter going to be living there with you? Where is the adult supervision?"

"I don't know why you're making a big deal. You said you didn't care if Peter and I had sex," Emma said nonchalantly and Sam snickered. Steve's eyes widened as he stared at her in disbelief.

"I never said that I didn't care. I said that I knew you were going to do it anyways so I hoped you were safe," Steve told her and Sam seemed to be getting a kick out of Steve and Emma's family drama. "Please just tell me that boy wears a condom and for his sake please just tell me that you don't engage in those acts at the compound. Bucky would kill him."

"We know what condoms are, Steve," Emma reassured him but she was also annoyed that Steve was going on and on about this. She understood that he was her parent and everything but Emma thought her sex life was her own business. "Of course we don't do that around Papa. Peter doesn't have a death wish."

"Let me guess…Barnes still thinks his precious daughter is practicing abstinence with her horndog boyfriend," Sam said, laughing as he did so. "I can't believe that guy is really that stupid. Two hormonal teenagers live close to each other with really cool and laidback legal guardians. What the hell does he think they do on school nights? Chemistry homework and hopscotch?"

"Sam, that's enough," Steve said in annoyance before looking at Emma. "Just please try and cool it with…your teenage hormones. If you keep doing that stuff all the time then Bucky will find out about it eventually and it won't end well for Peter. There's nothing I can do about that either."

"With Barnes' stupidity they would probably have to do the dirty deed right in front of him for him to finally figure out that there's something going on," Sam muttered and Emma glared at him.

"Why are you still there? Is your life so boring that you need to stick your nose in my business?" Emma snapped and Sam held up his hands defensively.

"Alright. I'll go," Sam relented as he stood up from his seat next to Steve. "I guess crankiness must run in the Rogers family."

"You _are_ using protection, right?" Steve asked her once Sam was gone. Emma sighed tiredly before nodding. Peter was still hiding under the covers. The coward.

"Yes, we are," Emma said for what she felt like was the tenth time. "Can we please talk about something else? Like, when am I going to see you again?"

"I was going to set something up with T'Challa next month," Steve said, relieved to change the subject. All he wanted to know was that Emma was being safe. He didn't need to know anything else. "I think you have spring break in April so maybe you could spend a week in Wakanda? How does that sound?"

"I don't care where we meet. I'll just be glad to see you again," Emma said honestly and Steve smiled back at her. His heart warmed from Emma's open affection. She didn't used to be so open about her affection but she had opened up a lot more in the past year.

"I'll be glad to see you too," Steve said in response. Emma was about to reply but was interrupted when she heard Natasha's voice.

"Steve, we got a new lead just twenty seven miles from-" Natasha started to say but stopped when she saw Steve facetiming Emma. "Or we can just talk later?"

"No, it's fine," Emma said, giving them both a reassuring smile. "Go on and save the world. Hopefully I'll see you soon."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked her and Emma nodded.

"I'm sure."

"I'm calling you back tomorrow so I can actually have a conversation with you. Just maybe with not Peter hanging out in your bed," Steve told her and Emma watched Peter squirm uncomfortably from beneath the covers. She didn't understand her boyfriend's logic sometimes. She didn't get how a blanket would protect him from Steve's wrath. Emma just rolled her eyes at the lump in her bed that was her boyfriend before looking back at Steve.

"I told you Peter's not here, Steve," Emma repeated and Steve gave her a doubtful look before a smile returned to his face.

"Just have a good birthday weekend at the compound with Bucky and everyone. Send me some pictures," Steve told her and Emma nodded.

"Will do. Stay safe," Emma told him as she began to bid him goodbye. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. It's good to see you, Nat."

"You too, Emma," Natasha told her with a small smile on her face.

"You be safe too," Steve told her and Emma was about to hit the end call button when Steve suddenly spoke in a louder voice. "Bye, Peter."

Peter audibly sighed from under the covers before finally answering his girlfriend's grandfather.

"Bye, Mr. Rogers," Peter said, sounding dejected and Steve gave his granddaughter a knowing look.

"That's what I thought," Steve told her accusingly and Emma just shrugged.

"So I had some fun on my birthday. Sue me, Grandpa," Emma said sarcastically before hanging up on Steve before he lectured her. He was annoying sometimes but she also loved him. Family was a weird thing.

Peter took the covers off and looked at Emma with a serious look on his face. She glanced over at him curiously.

"Next time please don't pick up any calls from him while we're in bed together," Peter told her seriously. Emma supposed he had a good point. "That's the most stressed out I've ever been."

"Agreed," Emma replied and Peter nodded.

"I think I might leave soon before I get home too late and get a lecture from May about safe sex. I don't need that two times in one night," Peter complained. Emma smirked at him before she leaned over and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

"Are you saying you regret tonight?" Emma teasingly asked him and Peter laughed before shaking his head.

"Definitely not. I just need to leave before I move in like Steve's afraid of," Peter said jokingly, making Emma laugh. "If I don't leave now then I might stay forever."

"I can't say that's a bad thing, Parker," Emma told him before wrapping her arms around him to keep him from leaving the bed. She started kissing his neck and Peter groaned. He really loved it when Emma was clingy like this because it was such a rare sight to behold and Peter felt like he could happily drown in her love and affection. He was clingy too as it would turn out.

"Emma, I have to leave soon. Don't do this to me," Peter complained although he was never actually complaining when Emma paid attention to him like this. He knew deep down he had to leave but on the other hand Emma's attention always drove him stupid. "I have to go or May will wonder where I'm at."

"Text her that you're staying over at Ned's," Emma said and she knew Peter was caving in. His eyes fluttered shut from her touch. "Please stay with me tonight. Don't make me beg, Parker. You know how much I hate begging."

"Emma…" Peter trailed off, his self restraint wearing off.

"It's my birthday," She reminded him, playfully pouting. "You're supposed to give me anything I want."

"I already gave you Haim concert tickets and we did a bunch of other fun stuff," Peter said, trying to reason with Emma but also convince himself to leave her bed. "I think we've both had enough fun tonight. Maybe Steve's right. You need sleep."

"I didn't mean I wanted you to stay for sex," Emma told him and Peter furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he looked at her. She seemed almost shy. "I'm exhausted from earlier. I probably wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow if we had more sex."

"Then what do you want?" Peter asked her with a blush on his face. He still didn't get the causal way in which Emma spoke of their sex life but he wasn't exactly surprised either. Emma was always blunt.

"Don't make me say it," Emma whined, feeling embarrassed about being so soft and mushy. She thrived on being tough and calculating. "I really don't want to say it."

"You have to tell me what you want or I won't know," Peter said in amusement and Emma sighed in annoyance before finally admitting the truth.

"I want you to stay so we can cuddle and fall asleep, Parker," Emma finally admitted and Peter smirked at her. "I want to cuddle. I don't like it when you leave. Is that the romantic bullshit you wanted to hear?"

"Yes, that's actually what I wanted to hear," Peter told her happily. He swooned every time Emma said something sweet and adorable like that. He knew it wasn't in her nature to be dependent and he never expected her to be but he liked it when she admitted something even as small as a need to cuddle. "Fine. I'll stay. Let me just text May."

"Thank you," Emma said, satisfied that Peter caved into her. Even if she had to resort to being open and honest about her mushy feelings. He quickly grabbed his phone and sent a text to his aunt who quickly replied that it was entirely fine if he stayed over at Ned's. Peter was almost positive that May knew he was staying at Emma's from the way she reminded him to be safe in all capitals. He rolled his eyes before putting his phone on Emma's nightstand and crawling back into bed with her. She immediately curled up next to him and Peter held her close, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

"Did you have a nice birthday?" Peter asked tiredly. He didn't know how he thought he was going to make it back to May's. He was exhausted between his and Emma's adventure in the alley and then their adventure in her bedroom. Peter probably would've crashed into a building swinging back home. Emma smiled softly and nodded as she rested her head rested against his chest.

"Very nice. Thank you," She murmured, also sleepy from all the events of the night. This was one of the best birthdays she ever had. Not only did she have an amazing boyfriend like Peter but she also had her father back in her life. Emma couldn't wait to celebrate her birthday with him. She couldn't wait to celebrate a lot with her father. There was nothing Emma loved more than spending time with her father. Well, Emma loved spending time with Peter but that was different. "I still can't believe I'm going to see Haim perform live."

"It'll be a lot of fun but you just have to promise me one thing," Peter told her quietly and Emma glanced up at him.

"What's that?" Peter smirked.

"You're going to have to sing every word to every one of their songs," Peter told her and Emma scoffed. "You should. You have a really pretty voice. I heard you singing that one Harry Styles song and you sounded amazing. I still can't believe you like Harry Styles."

"I like his solo work, okay? One Direction is garbage but Harry Styles is pure talent," Emma told him defensively as if she was afraid of being accused of being a fan of One Direction. It would be embarrassing with someone of her reputation.

"Just don't let Ned hear you diss One Direction. He used to listen to them all the time. I think he even bought one of those creepy dolls of Niall Horan," Peter informed her before going back to Emma's singing. "You sang that Hallway song in the car once and it was pretty. I like hearing you sing."

"It's called 'Meet Me in the Hallway' and of course I'm going to sing along to every Haim song. I'm not going to be the asshole at the concert who just stands there," Emma said even though she felt a little embarrassed about Peter's praise. She hadn't realized he had been paying attention to her that time she sang along to Harry Styles in the car.

"Well, I wish you would sing more," Peter remarked and Emma shrugged his compliment off as she resumed cuddling with him.

"Fine. Let's just sleep now. You wore me out today, Parker," Emma told him, wanting to put an end to the conversation about her singing.

"Me? You were the one who used me as bait in a weird damsel in distress role playing game," Peter exclaimed and Emma sighed tiredly. "Those guys pulled a knife on me."

"At least, they didn't have a machete or katana. It could've been worse," Emma said dismissively and Peter rolled his eyes as he laughed. He really loved her. She was the funniest person he had ever met and he still couldn't believe he got to hold her close at night. This was something he never wanted to lose.

"Thank you for saving me, Viper," Peter teased and Emma elbowed him in the ribs.

"You're the most annoying person I've ever met in my life. And to think there used to be a time where I thought Tony would be the most annoying person in my life," Emma muttered but Peter could tell she meant it in the most affectionate way. "By the way…if you ever tell anyone I sang, I'll make sure everyone knows about the winky story."

Peter just laughed.

"You're blackmailing me?" Peter questioned and there was a teasing look in his brown eyes as he looked down at her. "Aw…I have the nicest girlfriend in the world. I'm so lucky."

"Shut up, Parker, before I change my mind and kick you out," Emma told him but Peter knew she wasn't serious. He just kissed her cheek as she pretended to be disgusted. Eventually her serious façade faded and she joined in on his laughter. Leave it to Peter to always bring out her more light hearted and funny side.

The two teenagers eventually grew tired in the midst of their late night chatting and fell asleep. Peter would have to rush back to May's apartment the next morning to change for school but it was completely worth it just to have Emma sleep in his arms. He could let himself pretend, even for a few hours, that he and Emma were by themselves and free to be together whenever they wanted. They weren't quite there yet since they were both only seventeen. However, Peter knew in a couple years that they could have this for real. That they could be like this every night.

Peter was counting down the days.

He didn't really know it but Emma was counting down the days too.

* * *

"I'd just like to make a quick little speech for my darling little goddaughter," Tony announced as he stood up from table with a glass of scotch in hand. Everyone was seated around the dining room table in the dining area of the compound.

Emma was seated in between her father and Peter while Tony was sitting at the head of the table with Pepper and Rhodey on either side of him. Darcy was seated next to her father and even her cousin Sharon had made it to the compound for her birthday. Darcy and Pepper had even extended an invitation to Bucky's little sister Ruth, a great-grandmother to everyone's disbelief, and she had shown up with her fourteen-year-old great-grandson James.

Ruth and Bucky had a tearful reunion while Emma and Peter watched happily. James, who bore a strong resemble to Emma's father, watched on in boredom before returning his gaze to his phone and watching Tik Tok videos although he kept sneaking peeks up at Emma every so often. Something that Peter didn't like. Emma wanted to befriend him since he was technically like a cousin but so far James was making it difficult between his lingering glances and his obsession with his phone.

Ruth and James were seated across from Bucky and Darcy completing the birthday gathering of people. Vision was the only one absent. Emma suspected it was due to the various mysterious vacations he took where no one really knew where he went. She thought it might've had something to do with Wanda but Emma didn't care. She and Wanda were on much better terms now and she was happy for them. Even if she had a million questions about how Vision's plumbing actually worked.

"Gross," Emma muttered and Tony smirked at her.

"It's true. Your dad left you in my care so that makes you my goddaughter," Tony reminded her and Emma scoffed.

"Well, he must've been an insane person. I should be careful. It might run in the family," Emma retorted and her father gave her a stern look. She would never understand her father's desire to make her be nicer to Tony. Her father apparently was very grateful to Tony for letting him stay there and for taking care of Emma while he was gone so he was always polite to the billionaire which Emma thought was stupid.

"Anyways…as I was saying," Tony said loudly before continuing as everyone else rolled their eyes. Happy, who was sitting next to Sharon, just sighed as he longingly looked at his meal. If Tony went on rambling it could be hours before anyone would be able to eat. "I'd like to make a nice little birthday speech for my goddaughter on her seventeenth birthday."

"Seventeen?" Tony said before shaking his head in feigned disbelief. Emma rolled her eyes. Here we go. "I still remember the day I met you when you were this fat and ugly little baby in diapers. I seriously couldn't understand Steven and Margot's interest in you. All you did was drool, shit, eat, and sleep. Why was that something suddenly so interesting to them? Wait and let's not forget vomit. Like you vomited all over my designer shirt…because you did that. You actually vomited on me."

"I always want to vomit on you," Emma retorted and Tony grinned at her.

"And did I mention how sweet and ladylike you are," Tony added sarcastically and Emma was tempted to flip him off but she knew her father would probably have something to say about that. Some of the others chuckled at Tony's remark. "And we haven't always got along as well as we do now. We haven't always been the best of friends."

"I can barely stand you," Emma lied and she knew she was lying too. She found it fun to tease and make fun of Tony all the time but deep down she supposed she cared for him…a tiny bit. If you really went deep and far into her soul then yes, she might be sad if anything bad happened to him.

Maybe.

Tony just ignored her as he went on.

"Then you came to tower after we rescued you-" Tony started to say and Emma interrupted him.

"When you kidnapped me," She jokingly corrected and Tony snorted.

"Kidnap. Rescue. Call it what you want," Tony said dismissively. "And you were this mean and evil little girl. I'm not kidding. You used to be so bad. You played these really mean pranks on everyone that were more sadistic than funny. I thought Steve had a Loki for a granddaughter."

"They were harmless pranks," Emma reassured her father and Peter. Tony gave her a blank look.

"You told Thor that sex was illegal on Earth, you tied me to a chair while you ate popcorn and watched reality television, and you used to hide Bruce's glasses in Natasha's underwear drawer," Tony reminded her and Emma shrugged. "Let's not forget the time when you scared Sam's girlfriend so much that she dumped his ass and moved to Japan."

"See? Harmless. No one really got hurt," Emma stated while the others stared at her. Her father just shook his head in amusement before Tony continued on. The billionaire rolled his eyes.

"But you've changed. You're nicer now. I don't feel the need to keep an eye open when I sleep at night. Let's not forget that you stopped giving me the death glare every time I so much as look at you," Tony said optimistically. "What I'm trying to say is that you've come along way, Mini Cap. You're not Evil Steve anymore. You're just Emma. I can't believe you're going to graduate next year. I still can't believe you still haven't run away to become some egomaniac villain who wants to take over the world and everything in it."

"I'm not you, Tony," Emma retorted and Tony chuckled at her joke.

"You're going to college in a couple years and you'll be an Avenger not long after that," Tony said proudly and Emma became uncomfortable at the way he was staring at her. He had so much emotion and pride in her eyes. It made her feel warm in the face and she really wished Tony would stop looking at her like that.? Couldn't he just tease her and get this over with? At least then it would feel more normal. "You'll be one of the best we've ever had and I know Steve would agree with that."

Emma didn't like him talking about her becoming an Avenger.

It's not that she hated the idea of it but Emma didn't really see it in her plans. She couldn't see a future where that happened. Even when Emma tried to imagine herself alongside all the others in some grandiose battle, she cringed. Mostly because she knew being an Avenger was a life long commitment. Emma didn't think she wanted it enough to be an Avenger indefinitely. She just wanted to live her life…in a more peaceful way…maybe?

"Thanks," Emma said awkwardly, not knowing what to say to that. She knew she couldn't say that she didn't want to be an Avenger. That she found the very idea suffocating and that it wasn't what she wanted. She was supposed to be an Avenger, right? She had the powers and she had a lot to make up for in her past but at the end of the day, Emma really didn't want to do it.

Each and every day she found herself looking forward to going to college, focusing on her art, having a life with Peter, and just hanging out with her father while making up for lost time. Emma wasn't that interested in the whole Avenger thing. At least, not like Peter was. Now she felt guilty because Tony was telling her what a great Avenger she would become. He seemed proud of her and Emma suddenly worried what his reaction to her not wanting to do any of that would be.

What would Steve's reaction be?

Peter's?

Emma knew her father wouldn't care. He would be happy for her in whatever decision she made for herself but the other three men in her life would be disappointed. Of course, how could she ever say any of this to Steve? Steve who sacrificed a happy life with the woman he loved in order to crash his plane in the Atlantic to save the world. It made Emma look selfish in comparison. She would rather stay home and draw than go out and save the world from some stupid man who thought he was justified in trying to kill everyone.

The blonde suddenly envied Michelle who didn't have to worry about any such lifestyle. Michelle could draw and read to her heart's content and her family would still be proud but if Emma did the same then she would be selfish. She would be wasting her powers and she knew Tony would give her a lecture about that. Peter would probably think she was the single most awful and selfish person in the world. He would never understand.

None of them would.

"I'm proud of you, Mini Cap," Tony told her with an equally proud smile on his face. Everyone smiled at the blonde and Emma suddenly felt like sinking in her chair. Like, she didn't deserve any of it. "So happy birthday to the best one around this place."

"Happy birthday," Everyone else said simultaneously. They all smiled at her and Emma smiled back but it was forced. Her father's smile faltered because he could tell something was wrong but he didn't bring it up. Emma knew they would be having a conversation later. That much was obvious.

"Thank you," Emma murmured and Happy broke the heart warming moment for which Emma was entirely grateful for. Rhodey nodded in agreement.

"Thank god. I thought we were going to spend forever sitting here listening to you go on and on," Happy complained and Tony glared at him. "We can finally eat. The food's probably cold by now."

"Well, excuse me for trying to be nice to my goddaughter for once," Tony retorted and Rhodey snorted.

"Yeah, you're a real role model of a godfather," Rhoday said sarcastically and Tony scoffed. Emma smiled because she realized that, at least, everything was going back to normal. They were slipping right back into their dysfunctional family dynamic and Emma was relieved. The heartfelt stuff could be saved for another day.

Even so, Emma still felt the guilt about the Avengers weighing heavily in the back of her mind. She didn't think it would go away anytime soon either.

It was just another thing to lie to her psychologist about.

* * *

"What was your husband's name?" Bucky asked his sister as everyone mingled in the recreational area of the compound. Emma watched them interact happily while also pretending to be watching whatever nerdy sci-fi movie Peter and James were watching.

"Harold," Ruth told Bucky with a small smile on her face. Emma picked out all the similarities between her father and his sister. His sister was nearly in her nineties now so it was hard to tell at first glance but Emma realized that Ruth and her father had the same pale blue eyes. Emma noticed that they also had the same smile.

The familial resemblance was even more evident as she glanced over at James. Like his grandmother, he had the same eyes and smile but he also had the same hair as well as the same jawline and nose of her father. It made Emma happy to be around her father's family. People who resembled him in so many ways. It partially made her understand Peter's fascination with her and Steve. It was interesting be around people who resembled someone you loved so greatly.

"Harold fought in the war like you and Steve. Funnily enough, you and Steve even liberated him and his unit from the Germans," Ruth said and Bucky looked at her in surprise.

"He was a couple years younger than you two but we didn't meet until a few years after the war ended."

"An older guy, Ruthie?" Bucky jokingly asked and she laughed.

"Harold was a sweet man. We had two kids together. Martha and James," She informed her older, although very young looking, brother. "He passed several years ago in his sleep. It was peaceful and I suppose that gives me comfort."

"I'm sorry to hear that. He must've been a great guy if you married him. You were always such a good judge of character," Bucky said kindly to her and she smiled but her eyes were sad. "How many James' are in the family, anyways?"

"It's a family name now," Ruth told him before looking him in the eyes once more. It was so odd. She never thought, not even in a million years, that she would ever get to talk to her brother again. Yet here she was at the age she was and talking to her brother. "Of course I would name my son after you, Bucky. It broke my heart when they told us you died. There was never a day that went by that I didn't miss you."

"I'm sorry," Bucky told her sadly and Ruth shook her head.

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your doing," Ruth said before continuing. "Then all these years later, they talked about you on the news and I couldn't believe it. My brother was alive after all these years. They mentioned the bad things but I know you could've never have done those things. Not my big brother."

"But I did do those things," Bucky said guiltily.

"Steve told me about the things they forced you to do. The brainwashing and everything," Ruth said reassuringly. "We kept in contact over the years. Mostly on the phone since I live in Oregon now."

"It's not really an excuse," Bucky mumbled and Ruth rested her hand on his arm in a sign of comfort. Her gaze was warm as it rested on his face and suddenly Bucky could see her as the little girl he vaguely remembered. She comforted him in the same way after Felicity Olander dumped him for Jacob Wellings. She was always wise beyond her years like that and Bucky was suddenly reminded of that trait of hers.

"I know you, James Buchanan Barnes. Your eyes might look a little older and wiser but I know you," Ruth told him, sincerely believing deep in her heart that he was the Bucky she remembered from all those years ago. "Your hair's an ungodly length too. Dad would be appalled. He would've dragged you into the bathroom and cut it all off."

"I know," Bucky said, giving her a small smile. The older woman smiled back before glancing over at the blonde who was sitting on the couch pretending not to listen to their conversation.

"She's beautiful," Ruth said and Bucky's gaze followed hers. He smiled even wider and Ruth recognized the look of love in his eyes. Ruth and her sisters would always tease Bucky about falling for some girl someday and it looked like he had. Just not the way any of them ever thought. Ruth could tell he loved Steve's granddaughter like she was his own flesh and blood. It was nice to see because she always wondered what her brother would've been like as a father. Now it had all come true. "God, she looks just like Stevie. I can't believe it."

"She really does. I'm only starting to realize it now," Bucky told her, looking fondly at his daughter. "She'll smile or laugh and it'll remind me of him. Other than that, the two couldn't be any less alike."

"Is that so?" Ruth asked in amusement. Bucky chuckled before nodding.

"Steve thinks she got her grandmother's temper but I think everything else is just uniquely Emma," Bucky said and it was clear to Ruth that perhaps Emma Rogers was her brother's favorite person in the world. The look he gave the teenager was one he only used to reserve for Steve. "She's blunt, sarcastic, tough, brutally honest, determined, and she's smarter than Steve and I combined."

"You love her?" Ruth asked softly and Bucky nodded, the smile on his face unwavering.

"More than anything. I'm a lucky guy to come out of everything and still have her," Bucky said sincerely. Ruth was glad that her brother was happy. She knew he had been through a lot so she was happy he found a little bit of peace and happiness in this troublesome world of theirs. He deserved it more than anyone else.

"Who's the boy sitting with her and James? He was sitting next to her during dinner too," Ruth wondered aloud and she watched as a look of discomfort and annoyance came over her brother's face.

"That's Peter…her boyfriend," Bucky grumbled and Ruth laughed in amusement. Her brother was clearly overprotective of Emma.

"Her boyfriend, huh?" Ruth remarked as she gave her brother a knowing look. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She's a very attractive young lady. Not to mention she seems very smart and headstrong."

"Yeah, well, _I _thought she was too young for a boyfriend but apparently Steve didn't feel the same way," Bucky grumbled, making it clear that he didn't approve of Emma having a boyfriend. Ruth laughed at him much to Bucky's astonishment. "I don't know what she sees in that kid. The horny little idiot follows her around everywhere like a lost puppy. He's smug too. I know he talks shit about me when my back's turned too-"

"Bucky, you really haven't changed much, after all," Ruth interrupted him Bucky furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" Ruth just shook her head at him.

"You used to get like this whenever Rebecca brought a boy home. You were worse than Dad," Ruth reminded and Bucky blushed. He didn't think he quite remembered it like that. Apparently that was one of the memories that still escaped him. "She used to get so mad at you. You scared off Robert Fisher that one time and she cried for days. You had to buy her that nice pair of new shoes before she'd forgive you."

"Well, I tried scaring off this idiot but he seems to lack self preservation. He's still here, isn't he?" Bucky said, glaring at the brown haired boy sitting next to his daughter. Just because he was tolerating Emma's relationship with Peter, it didn't mean he had to love the kid. Bucky knew that kid would get Emma into bed the first chance he got. That little asshole pretended to be all adorable and dorky but Bucky knew what really went on inside his head. He didn't care if the boy loved Emma or not. He was still a teenage boy underneath it all and Bucky knew exactly what thoughts roamed around in that boy's mind. Bucky didn't need to have Wanda's abilities to know that.

"He must be a keeper if he doesn't run," Ruth said optimistically and Bucky just sighed.

"She loves him so I guess I'll have to put up with the kid," He replied although he seemed reluctant in doing so. Ruth laughed. It really seemed like her big brother hadn't changed as much as she feared. He was same overprotective goof she remembered as a little girl. It gave her a lot of comfort. She had to admit she originally worried about him being alone in this new world but now she wasn't so worried. She realized he already had a new life with Steve's granddaughter. A granddaughter he saw as his own. He also seemed to be more than happy with that life.

"You make him sound like a pet," Ruth joked and Bucky shrugged. She then gave him an affectionate look. "I missed you, Bucky."

"I know," Bucky said after struggling for a moment with what to say. He would be lying to say that he missed her. It was only recently that his memories of his old life started popping up. Bucky hadn't had a full grasp of his memories until recently so he didn't have as much time to miss her. However, Ruth seemed to understand this. She gave him a smile before looking back over at Emma Rogers.

"I'm just glad you're not alone," She said softly. Bucky smiled.

"I'm glad too," He murmured, keeping his eyes on Emma who was currently talking to her boyfriend. He was really grateful for having his daughter in his life again. He didn't think he would ever take it for granted.

* * *

"Hey, I'm going to get something to drink from the kitchen. Do you want anything?" Peter asked his girlfriend and Emma smiled before shaking her head. She returned her attention to the movie they were watching once she realized that her father was okay. Emma was immensely happy his reunion with his sister was going so well.

"I'm good. Thanks," Emma told him.

"I'll be right back," Peter said before leaning over and kissing her on the lips in a move that Emma knew was the same as a dog marking his territory. He gave James a pointed look once he pulled away and got up and left. Emma didn't know why he felt the need to make sure every attractive guy knew that she was taken. James was three years younger than them, after all.

She supposed she couldn't judge.

Emma liked making sure girls knew he was taken too.

"Wow, he's not possessive at all," James said sarcastically, finally looking up from his phone. Emma was amazed by just how much he looked like her father. He was what she imagined her father looked like at fourteen.

"Parker gets unreasonably jealous sometimes," Emma said dismissively and James looked at her.

"I wouldn't say he's _unreasonably _jealous," James retorted and Emma gave him a suspicious look.

"What did you say?" Emma questioned and James gave her an innocent look.

"Nothing," He replied and Emma tore her gaze away from him to look back at the tv. She wanted to be friends with James because he was her father's nephew but the guy was really putting himself on her asshole radar. Despite resembling her father, he didn't really act like him. Or, at least, what she knew her father to act like.

"So how long have you and Peyton been together?" He asked and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"His name is Peter," Emma corrected and James rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Peter."

"Just over a year," Emma said in response, still highly suspicious of what the boy was getting at.

"That's a long time," James remarked, feigning a look of interest. "I'm sure things get boring and mundane after a long relationship like that."

"No…not that it's any of your fucking business," Emma snapped, getting annoyed by this guy's attitude. She wasn't sure what he was trying to insinuate.

"I look at him and you and it just doesn't make sense," James said confidently before continuing. Emma listened to him out of mere curiosity. "He's a Star Wars geek and you look like a gorgeous model who just got off the runway. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."

Emma stared at the younger teenager for a moment before laughing much to James' dismay. He frowned as the older girl laughed at him. His ego was quickly getting crushed by the second.

"I never thought there was anyone worse at flirting than Peter but I was wrong," Emma teased. Maybe if the guy was older she would be more pissed off but she didn't find the boy to be much of a threat. He was only fourteen and clearly trying his hardest to get Emma's attention. That and he was her father's nephew so she couldn't really be mad at him. Especially since he looked so much like her father. "That was so unbelievably bad."

"I'm not bad at flirting. I've had tons of girlfriends," James insisted and Emma almost thought he was cute. "More girlfriends than your boyfriend has probably had."

"I'm the only girlfriend Peter's ever had and it's going to stay that way," Emma said firmly and James backed away from her a bit in alarm. The look on her face told him that Emma was also possessive of Peter. Clearly a clingy couple. "And I seriously doubt that you've ever kissed a girl much less dated one."

"That's not true. I kiss girls all the time," James argued and Emma smirked. He was funny. "I've had sex too. Loads of times. I'm experienced."

"Yeah, sure," Emma said, obviously not believing a word this kid said. She didn't know why boys were so weird about impressing girls.

"I have!" He tried to convince her and Emma just sighed before returning her gaze to the tv. James finally relented when Emma started ignoring him. "Fine. So maybe I don't have that much experience but maybe you could help get me experience and all…since you're an older woman."

"Not interested. I have a boyfriend," She reminded him and the boy groaned.

"But he's weird. He was paying more attention to the movie than you," James pointed out but Emma's remained unfazed. "How could he pay more attention to Star Wars than you? You're really hot."

"It's Star Wars," Emma said as if it were obvious. It was just so Peter to be that focused on Star Wars. Everyone knew to never bother Peter while he was watching Star Wars. Emma knew there were certain ways she could distract him if she really wanted but the compound wasn't the place to do that. Especially not with a bunch of people around.

"Your boyfriend doesn't have to know anything," James flirted and Emma scoffed.

"Fuck off, Kid. I'm not interested," Emma said bluntly as she started getting annoyed with James. She honestly didn't know someone could be so annoying. He definitely had Tony beat by some miracle. "Even if I was stupid enough to cheat on Parker with a middle schooler like you, I still wouldn't."

"Why not?" James whined and Emma glared at him.

"One, you're fourteen. Two, you're fucking annoying and not in a cute way like Peter," Emma said as she started listing off the reasons why. "Three, you're my father's nephew so you're basically my cousin."

"He's not your dad by blood which means that we're not related," James tried to convinced her and Emma just looked at him in disgust.

"Gross but you also look like my father which is even more disgusting. I'd never suck face with someone who looked like my dad. That's wrong on so many levels," Emma finally said and James pouted, realizing that Emma was in no way interested in him. His efforts in trying to charm the older blonde girl failed in that moment.

Emma didn't really know how he could be interested in her. He obviously knew she was a former assassin since he and Ruth both signed nondisclosure agreements upon entering the compound thanks to Tony. Emma didn't get how this kid could be that into her after knowing that she probably killed dozens of people. To be honest, she still didn't how Peter was still interested in her after all that.

Her father was right.

He really lacked a sense of self-preservation.

"I don't look like your dad," James argued and Emma raised an eyebrow. Emma had seen pictures of her father from his childhood with Steve and she had to say that James bore a strong resemblance to him. If it wasn't for when he opened his mouth then Emma might actually want to be friends with him simply for the reason that he was related to her father. However, now Emma just found him annoying.

"Of course you don't," Emma said sarcastically and James wrapped an arm around the back of the couch, sitting very close to Emma in the spot Peter had vacated. Emma wondered if her dad had been this much of a flirt when he was fourteen. Probably. Steve always made it seem that way from the stories he always told about her father.

"Look, why don't we leave this place and go somewhere a little more quiet before your boyfriend gets back," James said suggestively, apparently ignoring Emma's rejection. "I can show you all the ways I'm better than your boyfriend."

"Kid, you've never touched a girl in your life. Jacking off to porn doesn't make you an expert on women," Emma retorted but the boy still didn't seem deterred. Why did Emma always attract weirdos? First Peter and now this annoying kid. "I could shake your hand and you'd probably finish in your pants."

"I feel like that would be a compliment to you," James said and Emma rolled her eyes. This kid really didn't give up, did he? She really yearned to see the day some girl slapped the shit out of him. Unfortunately, Emma couldn't be that girl because he was related to her father. Emma didn't want to hurt her father's relation.

"It's nothing to brag about, Trust me," Emma told him but James just smiled at her and leaned in closer. Emma leaned back, glaring at the younger boy.

"I can't help that you're so beautiful. I won't apologize for-" James started to say but was interrupted by the sound of glass shattering.

James and Emma both abruptly looked up only to see Peter standing there with a furious look on his face. James suddenly grew silent and quickly scooted away from Emma, suddenly remembering that he was flirting with not only a former assassin but also a girl who happened to be Spider-Man's girlfriend. It had been a very long time since Emma had seen her boyfriend that angry but she couldn't deny that she was a little turned on by a jealous Peter.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked quietly as he glared daggers at James. The younger boy just shrugged as if nothing happened.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. Why were you sitting that close with _my _girlfriend," Peter hissed and Emma swallowed hard at Peter's tense shoulders and how red in the face he was. On one hand, she thought her boyfriend was stupid to think any guy that wasn't him had a chance with her but on the other hand she thought he was cute when he was jealous.

"We were just talking. Chill," James said nonchalantly and Peter huffed angrily before walking over to younger boy. Emma watched him quietly with wide eyes, wondering what he was going to do.

"You weren't just talking with her. You had your arm around her," Peter accused and his raised voice seemed to get the attention of the others within the compound. Her father and Ruth walked over to see what all the commotion was about and so did Tony along with some of the others.

"Don't have a panic attack," James said, clearly not taking Peter seriously until the boy in question reached forward and grabbed the smug teenager by the collar of his t-shirt before lifting him up.

"Leave her alone," Peter warned him and the other watched in shock as sweet, adorable Peter Parker threatened a boy that had been flirting with his girlfriend. "She already has a boyfriend. Me. She's not interested in you so back off. If I catch you flirting with her again, I'll-"

"Okay, kid. We get it," Tony said hurriedly as he ran over and forcibly pried an angry Peter off a poor defenseless teenager. "She's your woman and all that. No one's allowed to flirt with her but you. Now leave the other kid alone."

"But he-" Peter started to say as Tony led him away from a traumatized looking James. He looked back at the younger boy with a glare.

"God, I never took you for the jealous type," Tony told him before giving Peter a stern look. He definitely knew that Emma could jealous but he never thought Peter was the same way. "You scared the poor kid enough."

"James. I'm going to tell your parents what you've gotten up to," Ruth said angrily as she glared at her still shocked great-grandson. "Emma's your Uncle Bucky's daughter which makes her your cousin. Blood or not. You shouldn't be flirting with her. You should have more respect for your uncle than that."

"I was just messing around, Grandma. Please don't tell mom and dad," James whined, sounding very much like his age. Bucky looked at the boy in amusement, obviously not seeing him as a threat like he saw Peter. Emma just rolled her eyes at the younger boy.

"You're lucky that Mr. Stark stopped Peter before he did something worse. That'll teach you about flirting with anything in a skirt," Ruth lectured before giving Bucky a look. "Your uncle was the same way except he never learned his lesson."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bucky mumbled as he blushed, avoiding his daughter's curious eyes. Ruth scoffed.

"Of course you don't," She said sarcastically. "You just so happened to forget the time you asked Mary Lancaster for a dance and ended the night with a black eye from her boyfriend."

"It was a misunderstanding," Bucky said quietly and Emma gave her father an amused look.

"How many girls did you date? No offense, Papa, but you were kind of a slut," Emma told him and Bucky glared at her.

"I was young once," Bucky said defensively.

"I'm young and you don't see me dating a billion guys," Emma pointed out.

"I didn't date a billion girls. I dated a decent amount."

"I think a decent amount in your world is a billion," Emma retorted, always having to have the last word. Bucky huffed, pretending to be more angry than he was. He was about to respond when they were interrupted by Tony across the room.

"Hey, Rogers!" Tony called out from where he currently coaching Peter on how to calm down. "You might want to see your boyfriend and declare your undying love for him again. I'm convinced he's about to turn into the Hulk."

"Duty calls," Emma said and Bucky rolled his eyes although he was genuinely amused by Peter's jealousy. His daughter could take care of herself more than well so it always amused him when the kid tried to come to her rescue. "I have to pull a Natasha and do my own version of a lullaby."

"What?" Bucky questioned in confusion.

"Right. You weren't here for that," Emma remembered as she got up from the couch. "In other words, I have to tell Parker's he's an idiot which is my version of a lullaby. I guess I'm not as romantic as Natasha."

"Good luck with that," Bucky said as he watched his daughter go over to her boyfriend in amusement. Despite his discomfort at her relationship with Peter, he was still amused to see Emma so carefree and living a somewhat domestic lifestyle. He still remembered the bitter and angry little girl she used to be so in a way it was nice to see how much she transitioned. Even if Bucky distrusted her boyfriend's true intentions with her.

Peter Parker was a horny moron who couldn't keep his hands to himself.

He would always remain that way in Bucky's mind.

* * *

Emma eventually soothed Peter's jealousy by mostly telling him he was stupid but also by holding him in her arms and softly stroking the back of his neck in comfort. He apologized to her before she interrupted him with kisses, clearly turned on by jealousy. Tony unfortunately walked in before anything could really progress. The billionaire had ordered them to stop for the sake of him not pouring bleach into his eyes before forcing them out of the private room.

"You kids are disgusting," Tony said before wrinkling his nose in more disgust when he looked down and noticed something about Peter. "Kid, go take a cold shower or something."

Peter blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Mr. Stark," He said, truly ashamed until Emma smirked at her boyfriend and pressed a lingering kiss against his cheek.

"I think I have another option other than a shower," Emma said flirtatiously, causing her boyfriend to blush even more. Tony gagged and immediately grabbed his goddaughter, forcing her apart from Peter.

"That's it. Kid, you go to your room and take that cold shower," Tony ordered before glaring at his goddaughter who batted her eyelashes innocently at him. "And you…you go to your room and think about being a polite young lady because you're disgusting. I don't even know how you and Steve are related. Stop tempting and corrupting poor innocent Peter with your evilness."

"Whatever you say, Tony," Emma said smugly as she left the room, leaving Tony and Peter alone.

"Kid, you're really going to have your hands full with that one. I'm telling you," Tony remarked before looking at Peter who was still blushing. He rolled his eyes. "Just go take your shower before Barnes sees. Today won't be the day you die."

"Sorry, Mr. Stark," Peter apologized before hurrying from the room. Tony just shook his head. It didn't escape him that the number of gray hairs on his head had grown exponentially and it was all because of those two. He would be surprised if he didn't have a full head of gray hair by next year thanks to those two love birds.

They were really going to give him a heart attack one of these days.

And Pepper wanted one of those?

Tony was really going to have to reexamine that conversation. Those two were going to age him another twenty years before they graduated high school. There was no telling how much more an actual baby with Pepper would age him if those two already caused enough stress in his life. Tony honestly didn't know how Barton managed three of those little nightmares.

Tony couldn't even handle two.

* * *

"Was it a good birthday?" Bucky asked his daughter quietly as she walked into the kitchen. It seemed to be a common occurrence these days. Emma getting up in the middle of the night from a strange dream to have a chat with her father in the kitchen. Her father who also couldn't seem to sleep. She supposed they had a lot in common.

"Even better than last year," Emma conformed and Bucky raised an eyebrow so she elaborated. "Because you're here this time."

"I just wish I had been there for the previous birthdays," He said regretfully and Emma gave him a small smile.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here now," She reassured him before thinking back to all the gifts she had gotten earlier. Tony had given her a new and customized Stark tablet for her art work, Clint sent her some items that once belonged to her mother, Steve sent her a cute antique trinket he found in his journey across the world, Darcy had gotten her a Book of the Month club membership, and she had gotten gifts from some of the others as well. However, the present her father had given her had to be her favorite right next to Peter's. "Thanks for the hat by the way."

Bucky blushed at the mention of the hat he knitted. He had taken up knitting as a hobby at the insistence of Darcy who forcibly taught him. She said it was good for him to have hobbies and Bucky was embarrassingly enough, good at it. Something that Stark liked to make fun of him for. The former assassin had spent over two months making a winter hat for his daughter. It was dark green which was obviously her favorite color.

"I know it's not much. I can't really go shopping since…" He trailed off as he gestured to the house arrest bracelet that was attached to his ankle. Emma just smiled and grasped his hand into her own. His hand was much larger than her own and it always had been. There was something comforting about that.

"I know but I love it. You're really good at knitting. Who knew," Emma told him. It was obvious she wasn't joking or teasing him like Stark did. Emma genuinely was happy that her father was finding hobbies or trying different things.

"Ruth saw the needles and she said Mom would've been proud of me," Bucky said, clearly amused by the thought of how his mother would've reacted to him knitting.

"I'm sure she would've been," Emma said in agreement. "I'm going to wear this hat all the time. I'm so proud of you."

"Maybe I do have a artistic bone in my body, after all," Bucky said jokingly. "I guess Steve was wrong after all these years."

"Maybe he was," Emma replied before deciding to change the subject. "Did you enjoy seeing your sister?"

"I was a little apprehensive at first but I'm glad you talked me into it," Bucky admitted.

Ruth and her troublemaking great-grandson James had left the compound hours ago after James got a huge lecture from Ruth about keeping his hands and thoughts to himself. Emma wasn't offended by James' flirting. She just saw him as silly kid trying to act older than he was. Emma briefly wondered if her father really had been like that all those years ago like Ruth suggested.

"It was great seeing her again and I'm glad I got to before it was too late. It's sad too," Bucky said as he reflected on the conversation with his sister. "I remember her when she was a little girl and now she's almost three times my age. Physically, I mean."

"I think it was hard for Steve to see my grandmother too," Emma said in response, wanting to let him know that Steve went through the same thing. "Not because she was old or anything but it just made him think about all the missed chances. Not marrying her, not raising his son with her, and just not being there at all."

"I feel the same about Ruthie. I never got to give her husband the big brother talk, never got to see her married, never got to be an uncle to her children…" Bucky trailed off, his eyes distant as he thought about a life that would never be. "The same goes for Rebecca and Mary."

"I'm sorry. I wish you hadn't missed out on any of it," Emma said sadly but her father just smiled at her before shaking his head.

"In a way, I'm glad it turned out like this," Bucky told her, his eyes gleaming with love as he looked at her. "I miss my sisters but I'm also glad I have you. I can't imagine a life without you."

"But you could've had a kid with one of those girls your sister mentioned," Emma tried to tell him but Bucky seemed adamant about making sure that she didn't think he regretted being there with her instead of in his own time.

"You're my kid. You're the only kid I'd ever want. You in all of your grumpiness, crazy antics, and the famous Rogers stubbornness. You're the best daughter any guy could ever hope to have," Bucky said adoringly and Emma smiled back at him. "Don't tell Steve but you're definitely my favorite Rogers."

"Like I didn't know that," Emma said, giving her father a smirk. "I'm everyone's favorite Rogers. Except for Maximoff, I guess."

"I don't doubt it," Bucky said, looking especially fond of his daughter. There was a warm moment of silence between them before Emma's smile faded and she was reminded of something that was on her mind. It was something she wanted to ask her father but she was still hesitant on voicing her feelings regarding the matter that was secretly troubling her.

"Can I talk to you about something? Something really important?" Emma asked quietly and Bucky gave her a curious look. He noticed the troubled look on his daughter's face and wondered what could've caused the shift in her mood. A moment ago they were laughing about Steve but now Emma seemed troubled by something. He didn't doubt this was something she might've been losing sleep over.

"Of course," Bucky said, frowning as he looked at her in concern. "This isn't about those dreams you've been having, is it?"

"No. I mean, I'm still having those dreams but they're not really bothering me at this point," Emma reassured him. This certainly wasn't about the dreams about the strange blonde woman. She didn't consider those dreams bad…just weird in a lot of ways. Emma was still very much having the dreams but they didn't concern her as much as the confliction that went on in her head. "It's about something else."

"What is it then?"

"I'm kind of reluctant to even say this aloud. I mean, I don't think Steve would really understand," Emma warned her father before she dumped her problems on him. "I definitely can't talk about this to Tony after that little speech he gave and under no circumstance can I ever tell Peter. He'd just tell me that I don't mean it or-"

"Emma, just spit it out," Bucky interrupted. He just wanted Emma to tell him what was on her mind. She sighed heavily before finally making a huge confession to her father. He was the first person she had really voiced these thoughts to and she was beyond nervous.

"So the best way to explain this is just to start from the beginning. We both know that I haven't had the most normal childhood," Emma said, looking up at him. "Most of my life I've been fighting and killing. You might argue that I've spent my whole life doing that. My whole life was just listening to the orders Hydra gave me and I was fine with it back then because I had you."

"There will never be a day that goes by in my life where I'll not want to punish myself for subjecting you to that lifestyle," Bucky said remorsefully and Emma shook her head. That so wasn't what this conversation was about.

"I know that, Papa. I know you regret it even if you didn't have a choice in the matter," Emma said quickly, wanting to move past this particular part of the conversation and on to the next. "I just realized that I never had a childhood like Peter or MJ. They have all these cute and funny stories and my only cute childhood story was that time I almost shot the Black Widow but chickened out last second. Which isn't cute at all now that I think about it."

"Emma-" Her father started to say again but Emma didn't let him finish.

"I never really cared about whether or not my childhood was normal. In fact, I looked down on kids like Peter or MJ who had an easy upbringing. I thought they were weak and beneath me for never having been tortured or forced to kill someone," Emma said darkly as her father watched her closely. "But then Tony enrolled me in that stupid school so I could be a "normal" kid. I was so pissed. I thought it was the end of the world and that I would be miserable going to school with a bunch of normal kids but…"

"But what?" Her father questioned knowingly and Emma looked back at him.

"I've grown to like that part of my life. I've actually grown to love it. I think I love being Emma more than I love being Viper," Emma finally confessed and her father smiled at her. "I love going to school, the academic decathlon team, my friends, and Peter. I love that my only worries are about studying for the semester final or the art showcase. I know Emma Lewis was only supposed to be a cover but sometimes I even believe that I'm her. That I'm normal."

"You _are_ her," Bucky informed her, happy that his daughter had created a life for herself and a life that she seemed to really love. Emma shook her head.

"I'm not normal," Emma denied as she got down to very problem she was facing. "Because after school Peter and I are not normal. We're Viper and Spider-Man. Potential Avengers."

"And you don't like that?"

"It doesn't matter what I like," Emma said bitterly and Bucky was beginning to see what was bothering her. It was enough to say that he understood her dilemma. It was one he faced too. "It doesn't matter because Tony obviously already decided that I'm going to be an Avenger. You heard how he was talking during the party. He already has his mind made up about me being an Avenger. It's like he expects me to follow in Steve's footsteps."

"Woah, woah. No one expects you to be Steve, Emma," Bucky said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He didn't know why she thought she had to listen to what Stark said. Bucky didn't mind if Emma wanted to be an Avenger someday or if she wanted give it all up. He thought she could make her own decisions and he'd be damned if Stark forced her into anything she didn't want to do.

"Don't they? Tony's already designed an Avengers' grade suit for me so it's clear that he's already made his decision," Emma said angrily but Bucky could tell she was freaked out. It seemed that she had some commitment issues when it came to deciding if she wanted to be an Avenger for the rest of her life or to just have a normal life. "Steve would be disappointed too. I'm his legacy and if I wasn't an Avenger then it would be a waste. I don't even want to think of what Peter would say. He loves being Spider-Man. I don't think he would ever understand if I told him that I wasn't sure if I wanted to be Viper forever."

"Emma, it's not Stark's decision what you do with your life. He doesn't own you," Bucky reassured her but Emma was still scared. Her eyes welled up with tears and he could tell this had been stressing her out for a while.

"But he's the one who supports me…I live under _his_ roof. What if I told him I didn't want to be an Avenger? What if he kicked me out? Or what if he kicked you out and Ross puts you in Raft?" Emma ranted and Bucky shook his head.

"As much as it pains you to hear this…Stark loves you. You're family to him, Emma. Some of the only family he has left," Bucky told her in comfort, trying to get her to be logical because he could tell she was overreacting. "I don't think he would ever kick you out. He loves you too much to ever do that. As for Steve, I think he would be a lot more understanding than you think. In fact, I think it would make him thrilled and relieved if you didn't want to be an Avenger."

"You really think Steve would be okay with it?" She asked quietly, blushing from the comment her father made about Tony loving her. She always bickered with Tony but she did care about him a lot. Emma would never willingly say that it was love that she felt for him but she still felt bashful at her father telling her that Tony loved her. It made her feel all warm and gooey inside which Emma blamed on her lack of sleep which probably made her delirious.

"I know he would be okay with it," Bucky told her firmly. "He just wants you to be happy. Steve doesn't expect you to be like him and dedicate your life to being an Avenger. The only expectation he has is for you to be happy."

"But Peter. Peter always goes on and on about us becoming Avengers," Emma added and a look of distaste came across Bucky's face at the mention of Emma's boyfriend. "I know he would definitely be disappointed if I didn't want to be an Avenger. He wouldn't understand. He would think that I'm being selfish and maybe I am."

"Is it so selfish? Is it so selfish to want to go to college or…wanting a life separate from all the drama and fighting?" Emma questioned, still conflicted over whether or not she really wanted to be an Avenger. "I spent my whole life fighting and maybe I just don't feel like fighting for the rest of it. Maybe I just want the peaceful life I used to sneer at. Maybe I just want that life with Peter…except I don't think he could ever want a life that's completely normal. Half normal but never completely normal."

"Listen to me," Bucky said sternly as he fixed her with a serious look. "I know you love Peter and you want to be with him forever plus whatever other teenage bullshit that comes with that. But Emma…you can't let Peter make decisions for you. If you do then someday you'll grow to resent him for that and I don't think you want to do that.

"Besides…you're not that person," Bucky finally said after he paused for a moment to let it all sink in for Emma. "You've always been too independent to just let people make decisions for you."

"I'm just scared if I tell him these things then he won't want me anymore," Emma confessed and Bucky swallowed hard. He could've told her that her boyfriend was an idiot and if he didn't want her then he was even more stupid than Bucky thought. However, he knew that wasn't what Emma needed to hear.

"If you think it's something you don't want to do then make that decision yourself," Bucky said as he tried to instill this in her head. "You've had enough decisions taken away from you. We both have. You don't need anyone else making decisions for you. If you're not sure about this Avenger thing then talk to him about it. If you don't then it'll just come back to bite you in the ass."

"I'm not saying I never want to be an Avenger. I just don't know if I want to make it my whole life like Steve and Tony," Emma said quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. "I want other things too. I want to live in an apartment in the city. I want to do my art. Maybe even make a career out of it. I want to go out on the weekends with Peter or with MJ. Is that selfish?"

"After everything you've been though, I don't think anything you do would be selfish," Bucky told her kindly as he looked at her with love present in his eyes. "You deserve to be happy."

"I've seen what the Avengers did to Tony and Pepper. And with Natasha and Bruce or Steve and Susan. It's like they couldn't even let themselves be happy. The Avengers were bigger than their happiness," Emma went on to say. "I just don't want that happening to Peter and I. It sounds bad but I don't want the Avengers to be bigger than what we have. I'm afraid that I'll lose him."

"Sometimes I wish that neither of us had any enhancements or abilities," Emma started to admit much to Bucky's surprise. "If we didn't have any abilities then we could just be normal. There would be no Spider-Man and Viper. Just Emma and Peter."

"Maybe that'll come true," Bucky told her optimistically, trying to get Emma to see the bright side. It was kind of odd that Bucky was the optimistic one in this instance since usually he was very pessimistic. Emma just gave him a sad smile and shook her head.

"No, it won't," She said, sounding absolutely sure that her dream would never become true. The sureness in her tone confused Bucky. "He's too much like Steve. He would never give Spider-Man up in a million years so bringing it up is pointless. I guess I got what I asked for. Part of the reason I fell in love with him in the first place was because he reminded me of Steve but now I'm paying for it. I think he's more like Steve than I previously thought."

"I think you just need to take it one day at a time," Bucky tried to tell her. He knew she was scared by the future and she just need to take a moment and breathe. "You're just going to keep freaking yourself out like this if you dwell on the future. This Avenger thing won't come up for a long time. You need to focus on school and have fun in the meantime. Put the Avenger thing to rest until it comes back up."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just being dramatic," Emma said response, feeling a little silly about panicking this much. Bucky just smiled at her.

"You're not being dramatic. You're just being normal."

"I don't know. I just-" She started to say but he interrupted her.

"You're young, Emma. You're still a teenager. Enjoy it while it lasts," Bucky advised her and Emma listened to him. "Don't waste time on adult problems. They'll still be there when you grow up."

"You're always right," Emma murmured as she considered everything he told her. She always knew she could go to her father for advice. Sometimes he didn't agree with what she had to say but he always gave her a new perspective which she was grateful for.

"I wish that were true."

"It is true. You always have all the right answers and you know exactly what to do in every situation," Emma reminded him. She wanted him to know how much she appreciated him. "I don't know what I would do without you, Papa. My life would be in ruins."

"That's not true. You get by more than fine without me because you're you," Bucky said, being humble. The Bucky Barnes in his past life wasn't that humble but this one was. "I need you more than you need me."

"We need each other," Emma corrected him with a smile. Bucky returned her smile.

"Maybe we do."

And with that, the former assassin pressed a kiss against Emma's forehead and held her close. She rested her head against his shoulder as Bucky worried about her. He worried about her because of all the pressure that she seemed to be under. He never imagined she felt this way. That she felt like she had to be an Avenger in order to please all the other men in her life.

It wasn't fair that they put that on her.

Especially Stark and Peter.

Emma had already spent the first thirteen years of her life with those kinds of expectations from Hydra. She didn't need expectations from them. Bucky was sure that they didn't mean it that way but putting the weight of the on her shoulders wasn't good for her.

Bucky wished there was a way to take all her worries away. He wished it were that simple but with Stark, her boyfriend, her inner turmoil, and the accords, it definitely wasn't that simple. Some might call life the luck of the draw but it seemed to only target the unlucky and Emma was perhaps one of the unluckiest targets. Her luck never seemed to be that good.

Either way, Bucky just planned to stick by her side. It didn't matter to him what she decided. He was going to support any decision she made. The one thing he learned about being a father was to be there when your kid needed you and he knew Emma needed him now more than ever.

Future Avenger or not.


	5. Chapter Four

**Author's Note: I bet everyone's so shocked another update came so soon and believe me, so was I. Finals are over and I've also been given loads of free time because self-isolation. **

**By the way...I hope everyone's doing okay during all the craziness out there. I work in a grocery and have for the past year to help pay for school but I know how crazy it is. I live in a small town and I've never seen shelves wiped clean so I feel obligated to ask everyone to not hoard and also to be patient with workers. A lady flipped her shit over a tortilla and yelled at me yesterday. I'd like to say that it's because of the coronavirus but that's not the first time that's happened to me. I've always bought a bunch of things in the past whenever stuff went on sale so I have a really good supply of essential things but I'm just worried about when that stuff runs out(because it eventually will) so hoarding is definitely bad. People are buying paper towels at the store I work and I know they're not for wiping counters. They're just desperate at this point. **

**My college canceled on-campus classes and we're doing everything online until April 24th but I think that'll get extended. I'm not that worried since those classes can definitely be done online but I'm worried for some of my friends who are studying to be medical assistants because I know they have to do stuff on site which is really dangerous at this point. These are really just scary times and I've never seen anything like this. I live in a state with some of the highest number of cases in the country and I'm always afraid of what the next day will bring. My mom might lose her job, my brother who works at Boeing might too, and maybe even my sister-in-law. My only comfort is that I work at a grocery store so I have job security. It's just been super stressful so I've been writing more to keep my mind at ease. I hope this chapter can give you guys a nice distraction from everything that's going on while we're all self-isolating. If anyone wants to chat you're welcome to PM me. I'm going back to self-isolation after tomorrow since that's the end of my work week. **

**There's no warning for this chapter. I'm just starting to set stuff up for the Ragnarok storyline which should be along in a few chapters. **

**I'm kind of looking for Netflix and Hulu shows to binge-watch during self-isolation but I've been super busy with school lately that I have no idea where to start. I've seen the big ones like Stranger Things, Handmaid's Tale, and Mandolorian. A friend recommended The Witcher to me but I don't know if it's something I'd like. If you guys have any other recommendations that would be awesome. The sad part about self-isolation is that it's spring break now so I have no school work to keep me occupied but I'm still going to have loads of free time on my hand. I've mostly been watching re-runs of Mom to keep me occupied but I can't do that forever. Maybe I'll actually read a book. It's been a while since I've done that. I was thinking of getting a subscription to babble so I can learn German which I've always wanted to do. Listening to the Weeknd's new album while I write is another thing I'm currently doing but I honestly would've done that anyways. How are you guys spending self-isolation? I'm just trying to think of ideas here.**

**Thanks so much for all the follows and favorites. I was super shocked to see the huge spike last chapter after I posted an author's note on STNS. I guess I really should've promoted the story better since a lot of people didn't know about North Star. Anyways...thanks so much for that and all the reviews too. Let me know what you think of the new chapter.**

**Stay safe!**

* * *

_"__Emma."_

_"__I know you can hear me."_

_"__Don't be afraid_

There it was.

That familiar blue glow coming from a dark and desolate room. Like always, Emma was drawn to that familiar blue glow. This wasn't the first time she dreamed of the blue glow and she was certain it wouldn't be the last. The dreams of the woman who called herself Carol also occurred quite often and Emma knew it all went back to the Tesseract.

Clint offhandedly mentioned how the Tesseract spoke to him when he was under the control of the mind stone all those years ago. Emma could tell the experience of mind control had taken it's toll on him so she never pushed him any further. She just nodded and wondered what he meant by the statement. However, Emma was beginning to see what he meant when he said it spoke to him.

_"__Don't go," _It told her. Just like when she first started having these dreams all those months ago, it didn't quite sound like a voice that was speaking to her. Maybe various voices at once or even an echo. It spoke to her in a way that was distinctly not human.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here," Emma told the Tesseract as she stood right in front of it. The room was entirely dark except for the blue glow.

_"__If you go then those who you love most will perish," _The Tesseract whispered and Emma stared at it. She didn't understand why she was having this dream. Usually the Tesseract spoke in tongues she didn't understand. It usually sounded like gibberish so she didn't understand why it suddenly sounded so clear yet so dark in it's apparent warning. _"If you go then many will suffer."_

"I don't understand," Emma said in confusion.

_"__I can show you," _It promised and Emma shook her head. She didn't understand what it meant. Leave it to some magical space rock to be more cryptic than a politician.

"Show me what?"

Emma blinked and she was suddenly taken away from the dark room she was previously in. She opened her eyes and she was somewhere else entirely although somewhere that wasn't entirely unfamiliar to her.

It was home.

Or, at least, what home used to be before Hydra stole her from her parents and murdered them in the process. It was that tiny one horse town in Oklahoma.

A memory she never quite forgot about was the memory of the fairgrounds her biological father took her to the summer before everything went to shit. She recognized the carousel and the ferris wheel in the background. The carnival games were situated in the middle of all the rides. Emma saw the kiddy roller coaster ride her dad took her on once upon a time. She remembered squealing in delight when the rollercoaster made the smallest turn around the curve. Her dad's laughter still echoed in her ears.

The strangest thing about this place was the fact that it was empty.

There was not a single person in sight. No kids or parents chasing after them when they caught sight of the bumper car rides. There were certainly no workers in sight either. The place was strangely abandoned which didn't make sense. It didn't look abandoned. In fact, the rides were still running which begged the question as to how since no one was around to operate the rides.

_"__Do you see it_?" The Tesseract asked her. Emma stared wordlessly around the abandoned fairgrounds as a breeze hit her. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as a stream of what looked to be ashes or dirt flew through the air. She turned around and noticed that there was ash everywhere…almost as if a volcano had erupted.

Is this what the Tesseract was warning her about?

Was the world going to explode and nothing but ashes would be left?

"I don't see anything," Emma said quietly, perplexed by everything she was seeing.

_"__Then you know what will happen_," The Tesseract said but Emma was even more confused than before. She didn't understand what danger it was talking about. There was no one around. Just herself.

"I don't get what-" Emma started to say but the Tesseract wasn't listening to her.

_"__If you find me I can help you stop it," _It whispered and the tone of it's whisper sent chills down Emma's spine. Something didn't feel right about it. Something in Emma's gut was telling her that there was something very off about all of this. _"You need to find me."_

"Stop what? There's nothing here," Emma said as she shook her head.

_"__Exactly,"_ The Tesseract told her. _"Emma, you're the only who can find me. None of the others can. Not Tony, not Steve, and not even Wanda in all her powerfulness."_

"How do you know about Tony, Steve, and Wanda?" Emma questioned with suspicion.

_"__There's a connection between us. I know you feel it," _It whispered to her. _"I know everything there is to know about you."_

"Like what?" Emma said quietly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

_"__I know about your father and how you're afraid of losing him again," _It answered her._ "__I know that you feel as if you're a stain on your grandfather's legacy and will only ever bring him shame."_

_"__I also know that you have no such desire to be an Avenger but you're worried of disappointing Tony Stark," _The Tesseract said as it listed off all of Emma's innermost fears._ "__You love Peter Parker and wish to have a normal life with him. You're scared to ask him for fear that he would pick Spider-Man over you."_

"You don't know anything," Emma said bitterly, scared that the Tesseract might've known her better than she knew herself.

_"__If you find me you will never have to lose your father again,"_ The Tesseract promised her and Emma hung onto it's every word. _"__You will carry on your grandfather's legacy while making both him and Tony Stark proud."_

_"__You can even have the life you desire with Peter Parker," _It told her, tempting Emma by the second. _"__No Avengers. No Spider-Man. No Viper. I can give you everything you've ever wanted."_

For the faintest moment in time, Emma could even see the future the Tesseract was talking about. She didn't know if it was the Tesseract showing her or if it was just something in her imagination but Emma could see that life with Peter. Emma saw Peter and herself in the life she dreamed about. No complications from the Avengers. It was just the two of them in that rundown apartment Emma fantasized about. Two kids trying to make it in the city without the drama of superheroes.

It was everything Emma ever wanted.

"How do I find you?" Emma finally asked, her mind still on that picture perfect image of Peter and herself. She was suddenly desperate to have what the Tesseract had shown her.

_"__You'll know_," It told her vaguely and Emma immediately became frustrated with it's cryptic answer. She wanted to have the damn thing in her grasp right this moment so it could do for her what it said it would. However, Emma was also very aware that the Tesseract was currently residing on Asgard with Thor. There was no possible way to get to Asgard. You either needed Heimdall or a spaceship to get there and Emma honestly didn't think Asgard's gateskeeper would be cool with her going to Asgard. As for the spaceship, not even Tony was genius enough to invent a ship built for space travel at that distance.

"You're on Asgard and I'm on Earth. It's not possible for me to find you," Emma informed the Tesseract but it didn't seem deterred from her response.

_"__The right path will present itself to you when the sun is high in the sky and you see an old friend," _It warned her and Emma swallowed hard. There was a knowingness to the Tesseract that creeped her out. It seemed like it knew more than it was telling her but the promises it made were too tempting for Emma to ignore. _"Patience is of the upmost importance."_

_"__Find me when the time's right and I can help you," _It promised once more as Emma hung onto it's every word._ "__Find me when the time's right and I promise you never ending happiness."_

_"__Fine me and you'll never lose another loved one ever again."_

Emma woke up from the dream but not with a startling gasp. She opened her eyes and rolled on to her side, gazing out the large window in her room at the compound. The moonlight was bright and almost blinding as it streamed in from the window. On any other night, Emma would retrieve her sketchbook from her nightstand and draw the night sky. It looked more beautiful that February night than any previous night except that Emma didn't reach for the book at all. She just remained still in her bed as she processed the dream she just had.

The blonde might've dismissed it as a dream like any other. Something of her imagination but something deep inside her told her that it was real. That the Tesseract was communicating with her. It made sense if she thought about it. Her powers came directly from the Tesseract so it made sense that there was a connection between herself and whatever was inside it. The only thing that bothered her was if any of it were true.

Could the Tesseract really give her the things it said it could?

Emma was aware of the way it had shown things to Erik Selvig, Clint, and Loki years ago during that attack on New York. It showed them knowledge as Erik mentioned offhandedly once when he thought no one was listening to him.

Knowledge of what? Emma wasn't so sure about that.

Everyone who had a run in with the Tesseract didn't seem too focused on elaborating on those experiences. Emma only gathered that the Tesseract didn't give you what you desired most. It just showed how to achieve what you desired most which Emma was convinced it showed her tonight.

The only problem was that in order to have everything it showed her, she would have find it so it could help her. The Tesseract was on Asgard which made it impossible to retrieve so Emma didn't see the point in it telling her to find it. There was no way she could find it.

Did she really want to?

Emma knew all the trouble it caused from her grandfather's experience with it back in the forties to the attack on New York in 2012. Nothing good had truly come from the Tesseract. Except her…depending if you could call Emma a good thing.

On the other hand, maybe the Tesseract didn't have a good reputation because the others didn't understand it. They weren't connected to it like she was, after all. The power of the Tesseract was literally running through her veins thanks to Tony's father. If anyone had a shot at understanding it, Emma did.

The blonde teenager then finally retrieved her sketchbook from her nightstand during her contemplative thinking. Only, she wasn't about to draw the night sky. Emma decided that she was going to sketch everything the Tesseract showed her to ensure that she wouldn't forget any of it.

Emma didn't know what any of it meant but she knew this had to mean something.

The Tesseract wanted her help despite how insane that sounded. Something in Emma told her this was the truth and it wasn't a dream. The Tesseract was speaking to her and only her.

The only question she had was why.

* * *

"Rogers, I have an assignment for you," Thaddeus Ross announced as he practically threw a file at Emma. Everyone was situated in one of the conference rooms for an Avengers meeting. The seventeen-year-old didn't even attempt to catch the file. She just stared at Ross in boredom as the papers were scattered across the table, classified information for everyone to see. Ross glared at her.

"No thanks," Emma retorted, looking like she could literally be interested in anything else. In all honesty, she had been zoned out for much of the meeting. She was mostly thinking about the Haim concert Peter was taking her to in a couple weeks. As soon as Tony opened his mouth, Emma's mind drifted off. It's not like it mattered whether or not she paid attention. While Emma and Peter were allowed to attend the meetings, they more ignored for the majority of them.

"I wasn't asking you," Ross practically snarled at her. Peter flinched but Emma looked unfazed. It was no secret that she hated Ross with a blinding passion. There was always a large part of her that wanted to murder him and make it look like an accident. The guy was the world's biggest asshole and she still didn't trust that he wouldn't throw her father in Raft the first chance he got. "While you've been daydreaming about my murder, we were discussing a new issue that's come to the accords committee's attention."

How did Ross know that she fantasized about his murder? Emma thought she had been more discreet than that.

"Part of the reason you don't see the committee here today is because we want this handled as discreetly as possible," Ross said seriously. Emma glanced at Peter out of the corner of her eye and noticed how intently he was listening to Ross. She wanted to roll her eyes. Ross wasn't worth listening to. Peter might as well blow his eardrums out with loud horrible EDM music. It was the same thing as hearing Ross talk. "You're known for your discretion."

"You want me to murder someone?" Emma deadpanned but it was tough to decide whether or not she was joking. This is something that went through Tony, Rhodey, Vision, and Peter's minds as they watched the interaction between her and Ross carefully. The only person who wasn't present for the Avengers meeting was her father but that was mostly due, in part, to his house arrest. Bucky was forbidden to engage in any Avenger related activity much to his annoyance. Not that he wanted to be Avenger but he just wanted to keep an eye on Emma which he couldn't do when he was forbidden from any of the meetings. "It's been a while but for a fee, I'd be willing."

"Of course not," Ross snapped as he glared at her. "If you paid attention during the meeting you would know who was the subject of our discussion. Stephen Strange."

Emma narrowed her eyes at the older man before glancing down at the scattered papers on the table. She saw pictures of a man who must've been around her father and Steve's physical age…more or less. Emma stared at what looked to be a surveillance photo as the man in question was crossing a street. He was very tall and lanky while walking with very good posture. Emma determined he was from wealth just from his posture alone. His hair was dark with gray streaks that were actually quite befitting. His dark hair contrasted against his pale blue eyes. Emma almost snorted at his stupid looking goatee which wasn't too different from Tony's.

What was with rich old men and their facial hair?

Were they compensating for something?

"Sounds like a porn star name. What's his real name?" Emma said with a straight face and Rhodey covered up his laughter with a cough. Peter nudged her for being so crude, Vision looked unfazed, and Tony glared at her. Apparently Tony took this Avengers thing seriously during meetings which Emma didn't get.

"Stephen Vincent Strange was a former doctor in Manhattan. He was actually a very gifted neurosurgeon," Ross went on to say, ignoring Emma's quip as one of the holographic screens popped up in the center of the table. Emma saw more pictures of the man. Some pictures included this Stephen Strange guy at award shows while others showed him at charity events. Emma didn't fail to notice that there were no pictures of him with his family. It probably meant that he didn't have one. "Until around four years ago. Dr. Strange ended up in a car accident with severe injuries which prohibited him from ever performing another surgery."

Emma raised an eyebrow as pictures of the car crash flashed before her. The pictures depicted the investigation of the accident after it occurred. The flashy sportscar looked absolutely wrecked and Emma couldn't imagine what Stephen Strange looked like after an accident like that one.

"What did he do?" Emma asked with interest once she was caught up with the conversation. The others were also curious as to why this guy had the accords committee's attention. "Did he work for Hydra? Is he some sort of terrorist?"

"We don't know," Ross stated firmly and you could hear a pin drop in the room. Almost everyone looked in unison at the secretary of state.

"What?" Rhodey questioned and Ross sighed.

"Strange spent most of his money on new medical procedures to reverse the damage to his hands. He was nearly broke when he bought a ticket to Nepal and that's when he fell off the face of the earth," Ross mentioned. "There was no trace of him at all. He completely vanished. People who knew him dismissed it as Hydra offing him. His name was on Project Insight's list, after all."

Emma wasn't really surprised that Strange was on Project Insight's List. There were all sorts of people on that list and especially intellectually gifted people like Stephen Strange. Bruce and Tony had been on that list too.

"Until two years ago when he popped back up in New York," Ross said as he gestured to the holographic photos of Strange walking around New York. He mostly seemed to be by himself save for a couple pictures where he was leaving a coffee shop with a brunette in scrubs. "It was out of the blue and entirely shocking because no one has any idea where he's had been for the past two years. All we know is that he lives at this address. 177A Bleecker Street."

Emma saw an image of a huge townhouse that looked out of place amongst all the modern architecture in the city. It looked a bit gothic and old fashioned. If there was ever such thing as a haunted mansion in New York City then this was definitely it.

"So what do you want me to do?" Emma finally asked as she tore her gaze away from the photos of Stephen Strange and looked at Ross.

"We want you to follow him," Ross told her with a very grim look on his face. "He leaves his townhouse every night between six and seven to get dinner from this vegan place two blocks from his place."

"Ooh…a vegan. He must be a really big threat," Emma said sarcastically while both Ross and Tony glared at her.

"The problem is we don't know what this guy is so we need you to check him out for us," Tony told her in a very serious tone which was a change for him. She hated how seriously he took this Avengers stuff. He was just like Steve. Emma was tempted to tell him that because she knew how annoyed he'd be. "Rhodey, Vision, and I can't do it because we're too recognizable."

"You also were trained in espionage. No one here has that same training," Ross pointed out much to Emma's distaste. She tried to forget all Hydra stuff. It made her feel ashamed when she was sitting next to Peter. Emma knew that Peter never held her past against her but she still didn't like the reminder of Hydra. "You used to spy on people for Hydra. Not just murder them in cold blood. Is that correct?"

"Don't talk to her like that," Peter interjected, glaring at the man who spoke to his girlfriend so coldly. He hated how Ross always looked at Emma like she was sort of monster. Peter wished that the man would stop coming to the compound. Ross glared at him. "Why can't I do the mission instead? If you have such an issue with Emma."

"Kid, we're looking for someone a little more…sneaky. I guess that's the word for it," Tony tried to tell him without hurting his feelings. Peter sulked. "No offense but no part of you is subtle. Emma's a lot better at being undetected so you're just going to have to sit this one out."

"I might've done a little snooping on a couple Serbian diplomats," Emma said, giving Ross a suspicious look while she squeezed Peter's hand in comfort. She knew he hated being left out of important Avenger missions. "But I usually had an idea of what I was looking for. Do you know anything about this guy?"

"We know that he's been linked to a couple mysterious events in the past couple years," Rhodey added and Emma had to admit that her curiosity was being piqued. Sure, she would love to reject Ross's mission just to see him all pissed off but she was also curious about what was so mysterious about this Strange guy. What made everyone so interested in him? "The matter of his disappearance and reappearance makes us curious too. Confronting him isn't an option. We need to understand what we're dealing with first."

"So you know something's up with him but you just don't know what," Emma determined before shaking her head. "This seems wrong on so many levels. You obviously want me to spy on him because you don't want the government getting involved. It sounds like you want me to be the fall guy in case something goes wrong."

Ross raised his eyebrows. He had to admit Emma Rogers was a lot smarter than she looked. She was in no way stupid or naïve. The girl was aware that Ross had ulterior motives even if the others hadn't even thought of that first.

"I'm only telling you to follow him around and look for anything suspicious. You are in no position to engage with him," Ross said seriously and Emma still seemed doubtful. It wasn't supposed to be a dangerous mission. She was only to follow this guy around and whatever boring scheme he was up to. It would be remarkably boring compared to what she and Peter did after school. Peter obviously didn't get what spying on someone entailed. It wasn't Mission Impossible bullshit like he probably thought.

"We are doing our best to avoid conflict, Emma," Vision said as he spoke to her in his usual calm tone of voice. "If Stephen Strange is indeed an ordinary man going about his business then we can leave him in peace and move on. However, if there is something going on then we can discuss it as a team before we move forward."

Emma realized what this was.

They fully suspected that Stephen Strange had some sort of ability or powers of some sort. This was why they wanted her to stake him out. To get to the bottom of their suspicions and out him. They wanted Emma find out if he truly had powers so that they could force him into the Sokovia accords and make him an Avenger. It was no secret they were dangerously low on Avengers these days. Tony, Rhodey, and Vision were the only official ones left.

Emma didn't like this.

She didn't like that she was basically setting a guy up for either forced Avenger status or Raft time. Emma herself felt like she was being forced into being an Avenger. She knew when she turned eighteen she could either become an Avenger full time or retire indefinitely from crime fighting. There was no in between. Emma didn't have a strong moral compass but she knew it felt wrong to inflict that on someone else.

"All you have to do is tail and report back to us if he does anything of interest," Tony said calmly, thinking that Emma wouldn't think anything of it. However, he underestimated her intelligence because she fully knew what he was doing. She had grown closer to Tony over the past year and a half. Emma was even fond of him but there were times that she didn't agree with his decisions.

This was one of those times.

Emma didn't agree with a lot of Steve's views either but she had to agree with him on this. It was wrong to invade this guy's privacy only to sell him out to the government. Emma didn't trust the government. Especially after everything with Hydra. She knew there was corruption everywhere.

It was time for Emma have her own views and opinions that were separate from Tony and Steve's. Now seemed like as good of a time as any.

"Sure, I'll do it," Emma agreed much to everyone's surprise and relief. Even Peter looked surprised that she was cooperating with Ross. She didn't hate anyone as much as she hated Ross. Tony one hundred percent thought Emma would refuse. He was glad she didn't.

"Really?" Rhodey asked doubtfully. Emma nodded, seeming very sure of herself.

"Yeah, I think it's a good idea. Who knows? This guy could be the next Loki," Emma said, playing along with them. She would spy on Stephen Strange for them but Emma wanted to know who this guy was before she sold him out to the government. She wanted to make sure she was justified in doing so if there did happen to be something going on with him.

"Good. You'll start tailing him tomorrow," Ross told her, satisfied with Emma's cooperation. "You can read more about him in the file you neglected to take interest in. Everything you need to know is in there."

"Great," Emma muttered as Ross turned his attention back to others. Ross brought up another matter regarding a much different mission but Emma stared at the file in front of her. Despite what Ross and the others thought, Emma didn't belong to them. She wasn't going to do whatever they told her to do if she believed it wasn't right. Everyone tried making decisions for her but Emma was going to make this decision.

This decision was hers and only hers.

* * *

"I can't believe you get your very own Avengers mission," Peter said, pretending to be jealous even though he was actually proud of her. Emma smiled, her head resting in his lap while Peter played with her hair. They were both on the bleachers in the school gym as the decathlon meeting was winding down.

"You'll have your own mission someday," Emma said reassuringly and Peter grinned at the thought. "It's a boring mission anyways. I'm just following this random guy who's probably boring."

"It's still really cool," Peter said dreamily as he imagined a day where he would also get his own mission. He wished that Mr. Stark would've let him team up with Emma on this one but he understood why the accords committee wanted Emma for it. She wasn't recognizable like the others and she was also trained in espionage from her background in Hydra.

"Cool. What if this guy's like a bond villain or something?" Ned questioned, sounding just as excited as Peter was. "Wouldn't that be so cool?"

"He used to be a doctor. He's boring," Emma said, not believing them when they tried to tell her how cool the mission would be. "By the way…why are you even telling Ned and MJ about this? This is supposed to be confidential."

"Oh, I guess you're right," Peter said dumbly and his girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, you'd definitely be a shitty spy," Emma retorted. "Let's hope that Tony never tries to make you into one. You can't tell a lie to save your life."

"I can't believe you're doing what that government asshole is telling you to do," MJ complained loudly, peeking over at Emma from over her book. "Politicians are so gross and slimy."

"If I'm going to be an Avenger then I have to play by the rules, don't I?" Emma said with a smirk on her face. MJ raised her eyebrows and Peter gave her a suspicious look.

"You're up to something, aren't you? I know that smirk," Peter said, knowing his girlfriend a little too well. Emma gave him an innocent look.

"I'm not up to anything," Emma said innocently. "I'm just following a random vegan doctor around New York. What could I possibly get up to?"

"You just love stressing me out," Peter finally said, giving up on his suspicion as he dismissed it as Emma loving to mess with him.

"I promise to be careful if that's what has you all worried," Emma reassured him and Peter nodded.

"I'm probably just worrying over nothing," Peter said quietly. "I mean, this guy could be nothing…but he could also be really evil and powerful and-"

Emma immediately shut him up with a kiss which caused Ned to gag and MJ to look away in disgust. Peter melted in the kiss, a stupid smile on his face when Emma finally pulled away. She smiled at him.

"I've killed men bigger than him in the past. I'll be fine," Emma told Peter and Peter nodded. That's true. In fact, that little detail about his girlfriend weirdly comforted him. "Besides…he won't even know that I'm following him. I'm good at stalking people."

"That's something every boyfriend wants to hear," Peter said jokingly and Emma laughed.

"You two flirt in the weirdest way," MJ remarked as she looked at the couple with a raised eyebrow. "You're definitely the weirdest couple I've ever seen. You two even beat out that one couple on the cheerleading team who dress up as each other on Halloween."

"You're just jealous," Peter told her after he stuck his tongue out at her. MJ scoffed.

"Jealous of Emma being tied down to a dork like you? I don't think so," MJ retorted and Emma smirked at her friend.

"It's not so bad being tied down to a dork, MJ," Emma said smugly. "There's a lot of benefits. He helps me with my physics homework, makes my lunch, buys me candy, and takes care of my needs. _All _of my needs."

"Okay, I didn't need to hear that-" Michelle started to say as Peter blushed and Ned looked disgusted. Emma ignored her.

"Peter's really good at that part of being a boyfriend," Emma bragged, leaning her head on Peter's shoulder. "I was really shocked. Considering he was a virgin and everything but it turns out Spider-Man's full of surprises. _Big_ surprises too."

"Shut up, Emma. What if Mr. Harrington hears you?" Peter said fearfully as he looked around the room. Mr. Harrington was currently chatting with Cindy and Sally and wasn't paying them any mind.

"You didn't worry about anyone hearing me the other night," Emma quipped, causing Peter to glare at her. "Relax, Parker. The whole school, except for Flash, is probably having sex. They can't stop us from doing stuff off campus."

"You still don't need to be talking about that at school," Peter said, still blushing from Emma's comments about their sex life. He was shy in front of Ned and Michelle but Emma knew he wasn't truly that shy. He proved that to her time and time again behind closed doors. Still…Peter was adorable when he was being all shy and embarrassed.

"I'm just messing with you, Parker," Emma said adoringly as she held his hand. Peter smiled at her. It wasn't like he could stay mad at her for long. Michelle rolled her eyes.

"I've lost all respect for you, Emma. You're officially a lame person," Michelle told her and Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm officially banning you from discussing Peter in any capacity during our next sleepover. Especially talking about his dick. I seriously don't need to hear about that."

"You asked me if blowjobs were nasty in real life. What did you want me to say?" Emma argued and Michelle sighed tiredly.

"I meant in general. I didn't want to hear details about Peter's dick," Michelle complained and Peter stared at his girlfriend in disbelief.

"You talk about that stuff with MJ? Girls do that?" Peter questioned as he glared at his girlfriend. Emma shrugged as it were no big deal.

"It's actually really sexist of you to assume that girls don't talk about that," Emma retorted a she shared a look with MJ. "I know for a fact that you talk about us to Ned all the time."

"But that's different," Peter whined and Emma just laughed before kissing his cheek.

"It's just some girl talk, Parker," Emma told him reassuringly. "You don't need to worry. I only have nice things to say about you."

"More like, disgusting things," MJ muttered, clearly wishing her friend was a lot less willing to share things about her and Peter's sex life. There was stuff about Peter that MJ knew that she also wished she didn't know.

"I wish I had a girlfriend," Ned said as he sighed dreamily. "You two make it look so cool. I mean, other than the sex stuff…although that would be cool too. You're like the world's coolest couple. The first superhero couple ever is something no one could ever top."

"You'll get a girlfriend," Peter said reassuringly to his best friend. "You're nice, funny, smart, and a really cool friend. Any girl would be lucky to have you, Ned."

"Yeah and you're not a total idiot like all the other assholes in the school," Emma complimented him and Ned laughed. Leave it to Emma to restore his confidence back into himself. She was terrible at complimenting people.

"Thanks a lot, Emma," Ned said sarcastically and Emma just shrugged his sarcasm off.

"I'd set you up with a girl but I don't know many girls. MJ's the only girl I know and she's saving herself until college so good luck with that," Emma said as she teased her friend and MJ glared at her before throwing her book at Emma. The blonde didn't even flinch from the heavy book hitting her in the head which pissed MJ off even more.

"Just because I want to focus on getting into a good school over getting railed by my high school boyfriend every Tuesday night doesn't make me lame," MJ argued and Emma mockingly glared at her. Peter blushed again. He didn't know why Emma and MJ were always so graphic with their insults. Peter and Ned were never that bad.

"Newsflash, Jones, you can get railed by your boyfriend and still get into a good school," Emma deadpanned and MJ rolled her eyes. "I'll prove it to you. Next year I'm going to get into the top art school in the city."

"Gerwig's?" MJ said in disbelief. "You have to basically be an art prodigy to get into that school."

"I'll get into that school next year. Just me and without Stark's help," Emma insisted and MJ raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a bet?" MJ questioned and Emma smirked before shrugging.

"If I can get accepted into Gerwig's then you have to ask Flash out on a date," Emma told her. A year or two ago, Emma never would've done nothing as childish as making a bet with a friend. However, Emma had changed a lot since then. She resorted to childish antics when the moment called for it.

"Ew…What if he says yes?" MJ asked, looking thoroughly disgusted.

"Then you have to go out with him," Emma insisted and MJ took a deep breath before continuing.

"And if I win I won't make you go out with Flash since I think Peter might kill me if I even suggested that," MJ said carefully, giving Peter a cautious look when he narrowed his eyes at her. "But if you don't get into Gerwig's then I want you to spend a week without Peter. Like no texting, talking, kissing, or fucking. I want you to have a taste of female independence. You also have to attend a feminist rally with me."

"Ugh! There's probably a bunch of lonely, boring women there," Emma said, clearly not liking the idea of hanging out with a bunch of angry feminists. Not that she didn't like the idea of women having equal rights but Emma would rather spend her time with Peter which probably defeated the purpose of feminism but whatever…Emma felt like she paid her dues to society to just want spend time with her boyfriend. She was literally one of the only three female superheroes so that had to count for something.

"Well, if you lose then you have to spend a week without Peter and you have to go to a rally with me," MJ told her and Peter began to glare at MJ.

"I don't get why Emma losing means that I also have to be punished," Peter grumbled, pouting at the idea of spending a week without Emma. He hadn't spent a week without her since that week when they were fighting all those months ago.

"Because Emma needs some independence and to come to the stunning realization that she's an independent woman who can survive with or without a man at her side," MJ informed him and Emma rolled her eyes. Oh, Michelle and all her feminist ideals that Emma could give two shits less about. Emma's own version of feminism was just doing whatever the fuck she wanted. That was feminism in Emma's mind but MJ seemed to think something differently.

"Thank you for enlightening me with your insight, MJ," Emma said sarcastically and MJ smirked at her.

"You're welcome."

Emma just shook her head but she felt amused at the antics of her friends. Especially MJ. It was nice to forget the dread she felt going on a mission. Even though Emma had her own plan in place, she really didn't care to get involved in government business. She wished she could just stay there without following some vegan doctor around the city. However, she always seemed to find herself entangled in Avengers' drama. Even after months of peace after Rumlow, something always seemed to get in the way.

This time it seemed to take the shape of a vegan doctor and the paranoia of a bunch of old men.

* * *

Emma nibbled on a sandwich from Mr. Delmar's that Peter bought her for her mission. She was surprised he ordered it with avocados since Peter always thought her love of avocados was disgusting. The fucking weirdo would put potato chips in his sandwich but somehow avocados were weird. The blonde took another bite of the sandwich as she casually leaned against a pole at the bus stop. She pretending to be scrolling through her phone when really she was waiting for a certain doctor to vacate a bubble tea shop.

This was her third day of keeping surveillance on the doctor and so far she was extremely bored. She mostly watched Stephen Strange as he ran errands or picked up dinner. He rarely did anything interesting other than meeting up with a brunette at a coffee shop yesterday.

Ugh…watching old people try to flirt was the worst.

This was more boring than that time Peter forced her into watching _Game of Thrones._ That show was incredibly depressing and so was watching this doctor's mediocre, boring life.

Emma raised an eyebrow as Stephen Strange exited the shop with a Taro drink in hand. He politely held the door open for a teenage girl before he continued on down the street. She snorted. Yeah, Tony and Ross were so right to be scared. A guy drinking Taro was terrifying.

Emma finished her sandwich and threw her trash away in the garbage before following him down the street. She kept quite a bit of distance between herself the doctor in case he suspected that he was being followed.

Emma assumed another reason Ross and Tony wanted her for the mission was because she looked like a teenage girl even though she technically was one. Emma didn't seem like a former assassin who had done a fair amount of spying, killing, and stealing in her day. She seemed like a high school girl doing some shopping after school in preparation for a girl's night in. Her shopping bags from Ulta Beauty, Mr. Delmar's, and a gourmet chocolate shop all indicated that she really was the teenage girl preparing for a night of fun at home.

Emma wanted it that way too.

Even if Strange had a sneaking suspicion he was being watched, he would be fooled by her appearance. Emma tailed him as he turned down a corner. He walked immensely slow for someone with long legs which was annoying to Emma since she had to slow down. She hated walking slow.

As if Stephen Strange felt eyes on him, his shoulders stiffened and he suddenly stopped in the street. Emma knew that he was aware that he was being watched but she maintained her composure. When the doctor turned around, Emma walked past him with an oblivious look on her face. Stephen Strange searched the street but didn't find anyone who raised any suspicions. He then continued on his way.

Emma decided to pull a trick in an attempt to end her mission sooner. Everyday it was the same boring shit and Emma wanted to move things along. The blonde purposely tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and fell over, her shopping bags falling on the ground. She was hoping this would prompt Stephen Strange to stop and help her but watched as he walked right past her without paying any attention to her. In fact. everyone stepped over the blonde teenager in the street as if she wasn't there at all.

So the suspect, along with a bunch of New Yorkers, was an asshole.

Good to know.

Emma gritted her teeth before she placed her palms against the concrete and rubbed her palms so hard against it that it probably took off a layer of skin. She yelped in feigned pain, forcing her eyes to fill up with tears.

This seemed to get the doctor's attention.

He immediately stopped in the middle of the street and turned back to look at her. Stephen Strange spotted the blonde teenage girl on the sidewalk and pondered for a minute over whether or not he should stop and help her. He really needed to get back to the sanctum. Stephen never liked leaving for long but it seemed like he was the only one who could run errands. Wong didn't seem to have a common understanding of currency. He wasn't just talking about American currency either. Stephen wondered if Wong even understood the concept of cost outside the 1950s.

Stephen finally sighed and walked over to the girl. He might not be a surgeon anymore but Stephen was still a doctor and could offer some help to the teenage girl if she needed it. That's what he was supposed to do now, right? Help people. Even though his concern was more of the dimensional level these days rather than the physical.

"Are you alright?" Stephen asked the teenage girl who was in tears on the sidewalk. The blonde girl sniffled and looked up at him. It was time for the water works. If it worked for Peter way back when then it would definitely work for this guy.

"I think I scraped my hands on the sidewalk," Emma said and Stephen noticed how upset the girl was so he tried to be comforting.

"Well, I'm a doctor. I can help," Stephen offered and Emma nodded furiously. He then held out a hand for her to take to help her up from the ground. Emma smiled at him and took his hand, letting Stephen help her up. "You should take a seat. I'll help you with your things."

"Thank you," Emma said in a small voice as she watched Stephen pick up her shopping bags. "I don't know why I'm so clumsy. I probably shouldn't be wearing heels, huh?"

"It definitely increases your risk for falling," Stephen said with a polite smile. He set the bags next to her on the bench she was sitting on. "Hold out your hands."

Emma did as he asked. She knew she couldn't stay there long because it wouldn't be long before she started healing. Stephen was a doctor so she knew she couldn't explain away her healing factor. The former doctor examined the palm of her hands with a calculating look on his face. Emma tried to push any feelings of discomfort away. She never liked doctors. They always had a cold and detached look about them with the exception of Bruce. Of course, Bruce wasn't that kind of doctor. For a moment she was reminded of the look Dr. List used to afford her whenever he did his weekly examinations. She nearly shivered before she dismissed the feeling and focused on her mission.

"What we want to do is avoid infection. Do you have hand sanitizer? Any sanitizing wipes?" Stephen asked her as he went back into doctor mode. Emma shook her head.

"I have make-up wipes," Emma said softly and Stephen gave her an amused smile.

"Well, I guess make-up wipes will have to suffice but I do suggest that you wash your hands with soap and warm water when you get home," Stephen lectured her and Emma nodded. "That's the most efficient way of preventing infection. More so than hand sanitizer…or make-up wipes."

"I'll remember that, Doctor," Emma said, trying to play into the man's ego by calling him doctor. She was right because the man seemed pleased by being referred to as a doctor. Men. Everything was a dick measuring contest with them. "My make-up wipes are in my backpack."

"I'll get to looking for them…" He trailed off, silently inquiring her name. Emma wasn't hiding so she saw no reason to not give him her name. He would probably also see it on her notebooks and homework when he went through her bag.

"Emma," She told him and Stephen gave her another smile as he went through her bag for the make-up wipes.

"Dr. Stephen Strange," He introducing, putting an emphasis on the word 'doctor'. It made Emma want to roll her eyes. He then paused when he noticed a notebook in her bag which had the school's logo and the tiger mascot stamped across it.

"You go to Midtown?" Stephen asked her, an amused smile on his face. Emma nodded and he chuckled. "I went there back in the day."

"Really?" Emma questioned in surprise. She didn't really remember reading any of that in the file. Maybe she skimmed over it. Stephen nodded as he took out the make-up wipes and started wiping the blood off her hands.

"Class of '98," Stephen said jokingly and Emma smirked.

"'98? I wasn't even born yet," Emma said smugly and Stephen suddenly felt tremendously old. She was probably nearly an adult yet she hadn't even been born when he went to Midtown.

"Yes, I know. I'm very old," Stephen told her before he glanced over at her and tried to make small talk. Christine always told him his bedside manner was terrible so maybe he could prove her wrong. "Are you interested in science? I know a lot of people who went to school there who ended up being revolutionaries in the science field. Hannah Kersey, Nathan Wellings, Quentin B-"

"Nope," Emma denied as she interrupted him. "Science is boring. My boyfriend's into physics and chemistry but not me. I'm going to art school after I graduate."

"Oh, art," Stephen said, sounding unimpressed by her career choice. Wow…this guy was kind of snobby. Not even Tony disapproved of her career choice. While this guy seemed decent enough to help her with her wound, she also found him to be a snobbish and arrogant asshole at the same time. "That's a good option for the current job market."

"At least I'll never get a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against me or have to deal with HIPAA," Emma retorted and Stephen gave her an annoyed look as he finished wiping her hands.

"Do you have any band-aids?" He asked her and Emma smiled innocently at him, pretending to be ignorant of his annoyed demeanor.

"Nope," Emma told him and Stephen scoffed.

"Do you have anything?" Stephen questioned and Emma nodded.

"Lip balm, highlighters, and condoms," Emma said bluntly, trying to see how uncomfortable she could make this guy. However, she was disappointed as Stephen gave her a blank look.

"Well, at least you have _something_ to prevent disease," Stephen said under his breath but Emma heard him clear as day. Huh…this guy wasn't as fun to mess with as Tony, Steve, or her father was. He lacked the reaction she liked getting out of people which therefore automatically made him boring to her. "I guess I'll use these."

Emma watched in distaste as Stephen took a couple velvet headbands out of her backpack. She normally used them during gym class to keep her hair out of her face. She didn't really like the idea of Stephen ruining it with her blood. She supposed it was for the mission, after all. Emma would just have to take one for the team.

The former doctor then began to wrap the pieces of fabric around her wounds carefully. It was then that Emma got a closer look at his hands which were badly scarred. It was up close evidence of his injuries from the car accident which eventually led to his disappearance four years ago. She could see both the scars from the accident as well as the scars from the surgery that likely saved his life. The most curious thing she saw was the fact that his hands didn't tremble as he helped her with her wounds. She distinctly remembered reading in the file that he had to attend physical therapy due to his trembling hands. However, his hands seemed as steady as ever.

"So remember to wash your hands when you get home and put on proper bandaging," Stephen informed the young girl when he was finished tending to her wounds. Emma nodded.

"Wash my hands and apply proper bandaging," Emma repeated and Stephen looked upon her in satisfaction.

"Good," Stephen said before he was surprised by Emma attacking him with a hug. The doctor stood stiff in her arms as he awkwardly patted Emma on the back. Emma smirked from over his shoulder as she discreetly placed a Viper snake on the back of his shirt. It was a new device Tony created which was a combination of a bug and a tracking device. The robotic snake then quietly slivered under the collar of Strange's shirt undetected.

"Thank you, Dr. Strange," Emma said innocently as she pulled away. Stephen gave her an awkward look before nodding.

"You're very welcome, kid," Stephen told her and Emma smiled once more before the former doctor gave her a nod and slowly backed away before taking his leave. She watched him walk down the street until he turned another corner. He was more than likely heading back to his townhouse a couple blocks away but Emma already had more than what she needed.

This would give her more information than what she was getting from these boring stakeouts. Hopefully, Emma would be able to capture something of interest from the viper snake device. However, she definitely wasn't going to let anyone know that she was using the viper device on Strange. The blonde was smart enough to know that she would get in trouble for even making contact with Strange.

Besides…Emma wanted to look over what intel she could retrieve from Stephen Strange before she passed along that intel over to Ross and the Avengers. She would judge whether or not she wanted to share that information.

Although…with some of the red flags she witnessed today, something told Emma that she wouldn't be divulging any information to Ross and the Avengers.

Time would tell.

* * *

"How was the mission?" Peter asked Emma as they studied for their American history chapter test. Emma shrugged, barely looking away from her book.

"It was good," She said in a bored tone. "Mostly boring. He just got some bubble tea and that was it."

"That does sound pretty boring," Peter admitted. "I was jealous of you at first but now…not so much."

"I can't wait until Ross and Tony release me from the mission once they realize they're both too paranoid to function," Emma said in response. She fully realized that she was keeping a small piece of information from Peter.

The viper snake device.

Emma just didn't see the sense in telling Peter when she didn't even know if she had any information on Strange yet. She hadn't been able to take a look at the device since she got home. Besides…Emma knew that Peter would just insist on her telling Tony which Emma didn't want to do. So she decided to keep it to herself for now and when she found something she would tell him.

"Then we can go back to our missions together," Peter said affectionately as he smiled at her. Emma smiled back. It had been a couple days since she went out on patrol with Peter since she was so busy with watching Strange do nothing. She nodded.

"Hopefully."

There was a brief moment of pause between them before Emma contemplated whether or not to tell Peter something. She didn't really want to talk about it aloud because she was sure she would sound crazy. Emma didn't want to bring it up to Dr. Wallis because she was sure Dr. Wallis would diagnose her with some kind of mental illness. Whether or not she had one, Emma really didn't want to know.

After overthinking things, Emma finally relented and decided to go ahead and talk to Peter anyways. He was Peter so, of course, she could talk to him. Peter wouldn't think she was crazy. He always thought the best of her.

"I've been having weird dreams," Emma finally said abruptly and Peter looked up at her in surprise.

"What?" Emma nodded.

"I've been having these really weird dreams lately and I can't explain it," Emma finally admitted and Peter looked at her curiously.

"Are you talking about the dreams of that blonde lady?" He inquired and Emma shook her head.

"These are different dreams," Emma said before wondering if she should even mention the dream about the Tesseract. "They feel vividly real. So real that I have trouble believing that they're just dreams."

"What are they about?" Peter asked and Emma swallowed hard. She chickened out before deciding not to mention the Tesseract, after all. It was probably just her imagination anyways, right? She couldn't actually be communicating with the Tesseract through her dreams. She probably wasn't even communicating with the woman from her dreams either.

It was all in her head.

"There's something in my dreams that keeps warning me about something bad that's going to happen," Emma explained as Peter listened to her intently. "I don't know how to explain it. I see these images and nothing seems wrong at first but deep down I know something's very wrong. Then it tells me that I can stop it if I let it help me."

"What is it? The thing in your dreams?" Peter questioned and Emma shook her head.

"A voice, I think. Just a voice," Emma told him and Peter appeared thoughtful before answering.

"Nothing's going to happen, Emma," Peter said reassuringly. These were dreams she was having, after all. He knew from experience that Emma often suffered from nightmares and this must have been one of those occasions. This must have been another nightmare. "You seem to have the worst luck in suffering the most from nightmares."

"Maybe you're right," Emma said quietly as she started to doubt herself. Maybe she was being silly, after all. Maybe these were nothing but dreams and figments of her own imagination. Peter moved closer to his girlfriend before taking her hands into his own and looking her in the eyes.

His warm brown eyes met her ocean blue ones.

"I know you have a lot of nightmares and I just want you to know that you can always call me if you need me," Peter started to tell her. "Even if it's two in the morning and we have to get up for school in a few hours. I want you to call me and talk to me."

"I will," Emma told him and Peter gave her a serious look.

"I'm serious, Emma," Peter insisted and Emma's heart skipped a beat. "You can talk to me about anything."

"I know," She finally said as she felt a wave of guilt come over her. There was a lot she was keeping from him and she wasn't even talking about the stuff with Strange. Emma still hadn't talked to Peter about maybe not wanting to be an Avenger. Now was the best time for her to finally open up and have that talk with Peter. The same talk her father told her she needed to have but somehow she couldn't get the words out.

"Good," Peter told her with a small smile. The moment passed and Emma realized that she was being a coward. She couldn't even talk to her boyfriend about the future. She couldn't explain to him why she wasn't sure the Avengers were in the cards for her…that she wasn't sure she wanted to be an Avenger at all. Emma couldn't even bring herself to talk about their future as a couple…to plead with him to not dedicate his entire life to Spider-Man so they could be happy together.

How could Emma ask him that?

Spider-Man was more important to him than anything.

Spider-Man was more important to Peter than Viper was important to Emma.

This scared her more than anything.

"Do you want to go through the flashcards?" Peter asked her, breaking Emma out of her thoughts as she settled back against the couch. She nodded slowly before giving him a small smile.

"Yeah. That sounds like a great idea," She said but her mind was still a million miles away. As more time passed, she was making the situation worse. Emma knew that. Emma wanted to have the talk with him but at the same she feared what his response would be.

She was scared that if she someday posed the question of hanging up the Spider-Man and Viper suits, he would ultimately pick Spider-Man over her.

Emma already knew that she would never pick Viper over Peter.

She just wasn't sure if Peter would pick her over Spider-Man.

Emma couldn't even bring herself to ask the question.

* * *

_"__How is everything looking?" _Emma heard Strange's voice come through the viper snake device as she controlled it on her Stark phone. She moved her finger across the screen and it slithered through Strange's townhouse…although it didn't really look like a townhouse from the inside. It weirdly looked like a mansion.

Something was off about all this.

Emma just couldn't pinpoint what it was.

_"__Great but the thing is-"_ Another voice said as it came through on the device. The camera optics changed and Emma noticed a plump man standing opposite Strange wearing a strange form of attire. Emma also noticed that Strange was now dressed in an odd attire as well which was different from his clothing from earlier. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

They were dressed like a bunch of those nerds from that comic con she reluctantly took Peter to. Emma couldn't really judge.

She had a nerd of her own, after all.

_"__The sanctum is secure? How is the sanctum in London? Kathmandu?" _Stephen went on to say. The man cleared his throat awkwardly. Emma just watched the video feed in confusion. She didn't even have an inkling into what they were talking about.

_"__Speaking of Kathmandu, the others would like to speak to you," _The man told Stephen. The former doctor sighed tiredly.

_"__I'm a little tired up with things right now so I don't see how that's going to happen," _Stephen said in annoyed tone but the man seemed persistent.

_"__Busy with bubble tea?"_ The man questioned sarcastically. Emma eyes narrowed in suspicion as she noticed what seemed like artifacts enclosed in glass cases surrounding Strange and the other man. The townhouse was starting to look an awful like a museum. _"__The others want to speak to you. Apparently they've been displeased with your neglect in training students. Every Sorcerer supreme teaches a class at Kamar-Taj yet you've taught none."_

_"__I'm busy protecting our reality. Sue me for not wanting another Dormammu incident to happen since the others did such a great job of preventing that," _Strange said sarcastically and the other man rolled his eyes.

Emma realized something was definitely up. These men were talking about realities and alien sounding names. She might've brushed it off as being a cult thing at first with their strange house and attire but now she was starting to think this was bigger than some cult. Especially given the previous info that Strange had been linked to a couple different mysterious incidents over the past couple years. Incidents Ross refused to tell her about but Emma was starting to get the hint. _"I don't have time to protect our reality while teaching students at the same time. On top of all that, I've been getting the distinct feeling that I'm being followed."_

_"__What?"_ The other man questioned and Strange nodded.

_"__I think someone's been following me. I don't know who but I'm definitely being followed," _Strange insisted and the man rolled his eyes.

_"__Now you're being paranoid,"_ The man told him and Strange shook his head.

_"__I'm not being paranoid, Wong," _Strange said seriously. _"It's a feeling and I know I'm right."_

_"__You think it's someone from another dimension?" _The man named Wong asked. Dimensions? Emma figured these guys were either batshit crazy or there was something very weird going on.

_"__What about Mordo?"_

_"__I don't think it's a being from another dimension…but it could be Mordo. Possibly," _Strange said. For some reason, the thought of this Mordo person seemed to bother him.

_"__Well, I guess we need to keep an eye out then," _Wong said and Emma had to admit that Strange wasn't as oblivious as she thought he was. He knew he was being watched but he just didn't know she was the one doing the watching. Emma then watched as Stephen and Wong walked into another room but she didn't have the mini viper follow them. She didn't want to risk them seeing it.

Emma exited out of the app on her Stark phone and just sat on the edge of her bed.

To anyone else, all of the information she heard would've sounded like the rambling of a crazy person. However, Emma knew there was a lot in this world people didn't know about. Emma had met Thor, after all. That was proof that there were still many things in the universe people didn't understand. So Emma wasn't willing just to write this guy off as a nut job for talking about dimensions and realities.

She grabbed the Stephen Strange file on her nightstand and took another look, carefully studying all the information once again.

Dimensions.

Reality.

Emma desperately wanted to figure out what this was. Her mind wasn't closed by science like Tony's to immediately dismiss this guy as crazy. She knew she had to have an open mind when it came to something like this. There was something going on and Thor was evidence there was more that this world didn't understand.

It didn't help that Emma had a gut instinct that told her this guy wasn't crazy.

It became clear that her mission was driven more by the curiosity of finding out who Stephen Strange was than it was driven by her loyalty to the Avengers.

Maybe this Strange guy wasn't as boring as she once thought.

* * *

"So get this," Emma said as she sat on the counter while her father cooked them dinner. She was back at the compound after a week of stalking the weird doctor. Peter was still caught up in the lab with Tony so Emma thought she would make tonight Emma and Bucky night. Her father didn't glance up at her, too distracted by his cooking.

"What?" He asked.

"I made contact with that weird vegan doctor guy I was telling you about," Emma told him which she hadn't really talked to anyone else about. She was too excited at this point not to tell someone. She obviously couldn't tell Tony and Peter because they would lecture her on how dangerous that was but she knew her father trusted her enough to take care of herself so she didn't see any reason in keeping it from him.

"Really?" Bucky questioned, finally looking up at her and Emma nodded.

"I pretended I tripped and acted like I was in pain. He's kind of an asshole by the way. He just stepped over me until I scraped my palms on the sidewalk and started sobbing," Emma informed him and Bucky nodded as if this were a normal occurrence. "Then he finally came over to help me."

"I'm starting to get what Darcy meant when she said chivalry is dead," Bucky said, shaking his head in disappointment. "In Steve and I's day, if you saw a woman wounded on the street then you helped her up and took her to a clinic. You didn't step over her."

"MJ says it's a good thing. She says men are beginning to see women as independent," Emma said as she smirked. "I just think more men are assholes these days."

"I can't disagree with you there," Bucky said in agreement before Emma continued in telling him what she found out.

"Anyways, short story short…I put a bug on him so I could see if anything interesting happened behind closed doors," Emma said and Bucky gave her a curious look. "Look, this guy is either insane or there's a lot we still don't understand about the world."

"What makes you say that?"

"He was talking dimensions and realities," Emma told him with an excited smile on her face. Bucky just raised his eyebrows. "And he was wearing a really weird outfit and so was his friend. Not to mention his "townhouse" was huge and looked like a museum."

"Dimensions? Realities?" Bucky questioned and Emma nodded.

"I know it sounds crazy but it's crazy that Thor exists…it's crazy that Vision exists _because_ of a magical stone. It's crazy Wanda got her powers _from_ a magical stone. Same with me," Emma told him and Bucky listened considerately to what his daughter was telling him. "I'm not saying that the guy's not just crazy but something tells me there's more to him than just being an insane person."

"I'm not saying you're wrong either. I've seen a handful of crazy shit in my day too," Bucky told her. "It's crazy that Steve and I are even standing here with you today. I'd probably be dead by now if it wasn't for the super soldier serum. I used to smoke a lot of cigarettes. Back then, they said they were actually good for you."

"Papa…" Emma said in disappointment and Bucky blushed.

"I was stupid and I made a lot of mistakes," Bucky admitted before continuing on with what he was originally going to say. "My point is that I don't think what you're telling me is crazy. However, you might want some more proof before you start making assumptions."

"I know," Emma said agreement. "I'm going to watch him for a little longer and see if I can find anything."

"Then you'll report back to Stark and Ross?" Bucky asked her and Emma bit her lip nervously. It was a nervous gesture Bucky wasn't used to seeing from her. He narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion.

"I'll report back to them if I think this guy's threat and if he's up to anything less than savory," Emma confirmed but Bucky still stared at her suspiciously. Emma sighed as she caved in. "I'm not so sure if I should tell them _everything_."

"You don't trust Stark?" Bucky questioned and Emma shrugged.

"I trust that he thinks he does things for the greater good of the world. I trust that he has nothing but good intentions," Emma stated before finally relenting. "But at the same time I don't trust that everything he does ends up actually doing good."

Bucky just stared at her so Emma continued in her explanation.

"You weren't here but I still remember what happened with Ultron. The whole world could've been destroyed if the Avengers hadn't been able to stop Ultron and it was entirely Tony's fault. No one else's," Emma said but unlike a couple years ago, her tone didn't reflect disdain. She was speaking merely of facts and evidence. " I know he made Ultron with the best intentions but it didn't end up doing anyone any good. Just like the Sokovia Accords. I don't get how the world's a better place with the accords in place. There's hardly any Avengers left. Just three which is pathetic compared to a few years ago."

"I think he could've made a compromise to keep Steve and the others on the teams. It's not to say Steve couldn't have made a compromise too," Emma finished and Bucky nodded, understanding what she was saying. In a way, he felt bad for his daughter. His daughter who was caught in the middle of the political chess match between her grandfather and godfather. After everything she had been through, Emma didn't deserve to be subjected to that sort of drama.

"You're afraid they'll send this guy to Raft and you don't think that's a good option," Bucky suggested, not wanting to bring up the obvious sadness his daughter still felt at the Avengers' break-up. He knew it was obviously something she didn't want to delve into and Bucky respected her space.

"I think the world is short of people like Strange. If Strange does happen to be the mystical weirdo I think he is, anyways," Emma admitted, crossing her arms.

There was another reason why Emma didn't want someone like Strange in Raft. If someone like Strange ended up in Raft then it would mean that Emma and Peter would be given no choice but to join the Avengers. It would mean more crime fighting and less of the life Emma now sought after.

So, yes, she was very against the idea of sending more people to Raft.

"We need to stop being a bunch of paranoid assholes and accept that there's things outside our understanding. We need to realize that we can't control everything like Tony and Steve think we can," Emma declared and Bucky agreed to a certain extent. He just wished she could be more honest with other people about her inner feelings. Bucky wouldn't say that aloud because he realized that would make him a hypocrite. He wasn't the poster child for opening up to others, after all. "Sometimes things are just simply out of our control and there's nothing we can do to stop it. We just have to exist and sometimes that's all we can do."

"You're so smart," Bucky said with a proud look on his face. "I know you don't want to be a leader but I think this Avengers mess wouldn't be as much of a mess if someone like you were in charge of it. Stark and Steve…they don't think like you do. I love Steve but even _he _has faults."

"I'm not a leader, Papa. If anyone was going to be a leader someday I'd want it to be Peter," Emma started to tell him. "Peter reminds me a lot of Steve. He's kind, smart, loyal, and he's never done a bad thing in his life. I-"

"That's why you'd be better than him," Bucky said sincerely and Emma looked at him in surprise. "Because you've seen the ugliness of the world. More than Stark and Steve. Definitely more than Peter. Because of that, you can see through deceit and you also know how the world works. I think the world needs someone like that."

"Is this your way of trying to convince me to join the Avengers, after all?" Emma asked in amusement and Bucky just smiled before shaking his head.

"On second thought, I don't think the Avengers deserve you," Bucky told her with an adoring look in his eyes. "I don't think they would appreciate you the way you deserve."

"You think too highly of me. You always have," Emma said, trying to shrug off her father's praise. He placed his hand over hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I have every reason to think highly of you," Bucky said in response. Emma was about to respond when Darcy walked into the room. The brunette woman nearly swooned at the sight of Bucky and Emma being adorable with each other. There was something insane attractive about Bucky's paternal side. She didn't know what it was but it made her that much more caught up in him.

"You guys are so cute," Darcy cooed and the adoring look fell off Emma's face. An annoyed look replaced the previous one. Bucky gave Darcy a genuine smile as she made her way over to them.

He hesitated in calling Darcy his girlfriend.

Not only was he almost 101 years-old now but this thing between himself and Darcy was still new. So far they had only been out on a couple dates…if you could really call them that. They mostly consisted of Bucky cooking Darcy dinner before they'd sit down to watch a movie. Last time they ended up making out which had been a really long time for Bucky and not so much for Darcy but she had been very kind and understanding. She didn't tease him when he got a little _too_ excited like he thought she would.

Bucky didn't really understand what Darcy saw in him but he was glad she was interested. She was funny, beautiful, intelligent, and a little bit crazy but Bucky liked crazy. He wasn't sure what they were yet but he was glad that she wasn't pressuring him and understood that he needed some time. Especially when spending time with Emma.

"That smells really good," Darcy said as she nearly drooled over the homemade ramen Bucky was making on the stovetop. Bucky smiled in thanks.

"Emma really loves ramen so I thought I'd give it a shot," Bucky told her and Darcy smiled back. Emma wrinkled her nose in disgust before hopping off the counter.

"This is weird. I'm going to go annoy Tony into letting Peter out early," Emma said as she began leaving the room. Bucky only chuckled as Darcy laughed.

"Don't leave on my account," Darcy called after her but Emma was already gone. The brunette then turned back to Bucky.

"A real sweet girl you've got there, Barnes," Darcy said jokingly and Bucky smirked. Emma was certainly unique. That was for sure…but Bucky wouldn't have it any other way.

"I know."

* * *

"Any dreams lately, Miss Rogers?" Dr. Wallis asked the teenager as they sat down for another session. Emma was starting to get paranoid. She knew, from her own research, that Dr. Wallis was closely connected to Ross. Apparently Dr. Wallis attended college with not only Bruce Banner but Ross's own daughter Dr. Elizabeth Ross.

It was enough to say that Emma didn't trust Dr. Wallis.

So Emma was no longer telling Dr. Wallis about her dreams for fear that she was reporting back to Ross. Emma was telling the woman what she wanted to hear. The nightmares regarding her childhood and Rumlow. The woman seemed satisfied enough with those nightmares that she didn't seem suspicious. Emma just didn't trust this woman and she especially didn't trust that this woman wasn't reporting everything Emma told her back to Ross.

"A couple," Emma admitted, keeping a clear and even tone as her blue eyes bore into Dr. Wallis' hazel ones.

"What sort of dreams?" Dr. Wallis inquired, trying to push for a real answer. Emma shrugged.

"Mostly about Rumlow," Emma lied, knowing this would get Dr. Wallis interested enough to make her forget about everything else. "Flashbacks. That sort of thing."

"Really?" Dr. Wallis said with interest. "It's the same nightmare you usually have. About the wolf?"

"Yeah, it's nothing unusual. Just the same thing," Emma said, giving the doctor a fake smile as she nodded. "It's nothing to worry about. I know it's not real and I know Rumlow's dead."

"It makes sense if you still have these flashbacks, Emma," Dr. Wallis reasoned in an attempt to make the young girl feel better. "You've lived a very traumatizing life. It's going to have an effect on you. Maybe for the rest of your life. You should keep that in mind."

"I get that," Emma said solemnly. "It may have taken me a long time to accept that but I get it now."

"I'm glad you're accepting all these new and scary parts about yourself," Dr. Wallis said as she smiled at Emma as if Emma was a infant. The blonde tried to not let the woman get to her. "Are you still having dreams about that woman?"

"No. Not anymore," Emma told her with a straight face. "I stopped a couple weeks ago. I don't know why."

"I think you're going through different phases in your life which is reflected in your subconscious mind," Dr. Wallis suggested and Emma knew this was a bunch psychobabble. Stuff that Emma didn't really buy into. Dr. Wallis was just trying to seem relevant and like she could handle analyzing the mental state of superheroes. Emma personally thought she was in over her head. "It's a healthy normal response. You have a brief relapse with your nightmares and maybe with some time you'll go back to these dreams or dreams like those, at least. You just have to give your mind some time to relax."

"That makes sense," Emma said in response. Dr. Wallis smiled once more before she decided to change the subject. It was clear to Emma that the doctor wanted to bring up a more important matter.

"I heard that you were given a very important mission this past week," Dr. Wallis started to say, glancing at Emma carefully. Emma knew the woman was trying to pinpoint her reaction so she did her best to act unaffected. She didn't want to give this woman any reason to report back to Ross. "To keep tabs on a person of interest."

"If you mean spy on him then yes," Emma snarked. Dr. Wallis nodded, looking increasing more interested with Emma's answer.

"Do you not like spying on people?" Dr. Wallis asked her and Emma scoffed.

"What kind of question is that?" Emma asked sarcastically. "Who _likes_ spying on people? Fucking snoops?"

"You spied on people when you worked for Hydra,' Dr. Wallis pointed out and Emma narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the woman.

"You should really work on your bedside manner. Some might say that's a very insensitive thing to say to someone who was enslaved by Hydra and raped by one of their leaders," Emma deadpanned. She realized at that point that Dr. Wallis worked for Ross and not the Avengers. Talking to her was almost the equivalent of talking to Ross except Dr. Wallis kept her disdain more hidden. "I don't really think I could've legally worked for Hydra, anyways. You know, since I was four and all. Child labor laws definitely weren't enforced. Just like now."

"Just like now?" Dr. Wallis questioned and Emma wondered how that was all the woman got from all of that. "What do you mean by that? Are you referring to the fact that you're currently employed by the Avengers under the table?"

"What Avengers?" Emma questioned, laughing humorlessly. This woman was pissing her off the more she talked. The teenager wasn't going to sit there and let the idiotic woman talk to her like that. Emma was had it up to here with all the stupid therapy sessions conducted by Ross's minion. Nothing pissed her off more than Ross trying to invade her privacy. "There's no one here…just, like, three guys. It's pathetic. It's actually really depressing now that I think about it. I guess that's what happens when you have a bunch of penises in power. Just a whole bunch of fuck ups."

"Is Tony Stark and Steve Rogers the penises in power that you're referring to? You're blaming the fall out of the Avengers on them?" Dr. Wallis questioned and Emma sighed tiredly.

"I'm not blaming anything on them. I'm just saying that the Avengers are not much for this world anymore," Emma told her, desperately wanting the woman to tell this part of the session to Ross. Especially if it would piss him off. "You've heard what everyone's saying, haven't you?"

"And what's that?" Dr. Wallis questioned as she wrote something down.

"They're calling the Avengers, or what's left of the Avengers, the government's puppets," Emma said bitterly. "What do they even do anymore? Just sit around and argue with Ross and those boring old men who always put their two cents in."

"You do realize you're referring to the secretary of state and some of the most distinguished politicians in the country. Some who've passed bills that have-" She started to say but Emma just rolled her eyes.

"Some who probably also worked for Hydra under the table and were smart enough not to get caught. Big deal," Emma interrupted before continuing. "The Avengers are obsolete these days. Unlike some people like the Punisher who actually make a difference in this city."

"The Punisher?" Dr. Wallis asked in disbelief. "You're talking about Frank Castle? The mass murderer who's killed countless people in this city?"

"Bad people," Emma corrected her with an indifferent look on her face. "A lot of drug lords, serial killers, and sex offenders. I'd say that's a good thing."

"He takes vengeance upon himself and murders people without allowing the chance of a fair trial," Dr. Wallis informed her and Emma scoffed.

"What? So those rapists and killers can get out of prison and hurt more people?" Emma questioned before shaking her head. "The Punisher took care of the problem before it could happen again. He probably saved a lot of people. He should've been given a medal because he's doing more for this city than the Avengers are doing."

"Fair enough," Dr. Wallis said quietly before writing more down in her notes.

Emma was pissed off at this point. She was tired of talking to this woman all the time. Emma originally thought having a therapist could help her but now she just saw this woman as a pawn of Ross. A little spy who didn't have any interest in helping any of them. Emma sincerely hoped the woman blabbed to Ross so Ross could get pissed off. She couldn't wait to see his lip curl in anger and deep down she would love nothing more than to slap that stupid moustache off his face.

"Do you want to talk about how things are going with Peter?" Dr. Wallis asked politely. "Have you been more honest with your father in regards to your more intimate relationship with Peter? From my experience, it's important for children to have an open and honest relationship with their parents. I think it will reflect better on your mental health as well as your relationships with the both of them."

Emma just stared at her silently, clearly done with this conversation.

"Fuck off."

* * *

"How was your session?" Peter asked his girlfriend as they watched a movie. Emma shrugged. She was perched on his lap, running her fingers through his brown hair. It was getting longer than usual since Peter refused to get a hair cut and his natural curls were more evident. Emma would be lying if she said she didn't like his hair like that.

"Dr. Wallis is a fucking spy but nothing new," Emma said casually and Peter rolled his eyes.

"You're paranoid," He told her and Emma didn't argue with him.

"I just told her a bunch of stuff that will piss her and Ross off. Ross…her _real_ boss," Emma said in response and Peter gave her a look as he yanked his head away from her.

"Why are you so obsessed with my hair?" He questioned before asking her something else. Something more important. "Also, why do you keep trying to piss Ross off?"

"Because it's pretty," Emma said if that explained everything. "As for Ross…because it's fun. His stupid mustache starts twitching and he gets all red. It's hilarious."

"You should really stop making everyone mad, Emma. Especially Ross," Peter warned her as he looked worriedly at her. "I don't trust him. I don't trust that he won't try to do something to you or your dad."

"You give that old man too much credit," Emma said dismissively. "Besides…he's already had a heart attack once. It won't be too long before he dies and then you'll never have to worry about me pissing him off ever again."

"That's terrible," Peter scolded although he couldn't keep the smile off his face. Emma smirked at him.

"Maybe whenever Ross comes back, I'll try to jump out from behind one of the walls to scare the shit out of him," Emma joked but Peter didn't know if she was kidding or not. "You know, quicken the process and everything."

"That's not funny," Peter told her and Emma gave him a knowing look.

"Then why are you laughing?" Emma retorted and Peter tried to pretend like he wasn't just laughing at the idea of Emma scaring Ross to death. "You don't like him either. No one does."

"It's still not funny to joke about scaring people to death," Peter pointed out and Emma returned to running her fingers through his thick brown hair.

"Yes and I'm sure you and everyone else would be so distraught at that asshole's funeral," Emma said sarcastically and Peter just shook his head.

"You're so adorable," Peter told her lovingly.

"I'm going to barf."

Emma and Peter both turned to see her father standing on the other side of the room with a look of disgust on his face. Even so, Emma refused to leave Peter's lap even though Peter was trying nudge her away. She was annoyed that her boyfriend was still scared of her father.

"You didn't see me making any comments when you and Darcy were eye fucking each other," Emma complained and her father gave her a look of disbelief.

"Yes, you did…even though we weren't," Bucky pointed out to her as he took a seat next to the teenage couple. "You actually made a point of telling everyone here in the compound how disgusting it was."

"Well, I only speak the truth," Emma mumbled and Bucky shot Peter another glare.

"Get off his lap, Emma. I'm not going to repeat myself," Bucky told her sternly, not understanding how Emma could have the actual gall to be that close to her boyfriend in front of him.

"Why would I move? I'm comfortable here," Emma said, defying her father. Peter gulped at the furious look on Bucky's face.

"Because I told you to get off his lap. That's why you move," Bucky said, his voice becoming a bit louder.

"Your impression of Steve is uncanny," Emma remarked before making a point as to not remove herself from Peter's lap. "Peter and I are just sitting here minding our own business. I don't get what the big deal is. You're acting like we're having sex or something."

"I want you to get off your boyfriend's lap because I don't like the picture it paints," Bucky snapped and Peter flinched. He found himself caught in the middle of a Bucky and Emma disagreement and Peter had no idea what to do. "I don't know what kind of house Stark has been running around here but this isn't some free love commune."

"You're being silly," Emma said, looking annoyed at her father's overprotectiveness. "I don't get how me sitting here relates to a hippie commune."

"Off his lap…_Now_," Bucky snapped and Emma sighed tiredly before finally removing herself from his lap. Peter sighed in relief. He was afraid if Emma hadn't moved that her father would've forcibly removed her before unleashing his fatherly fury onto Peter.

"I'll just remember this for whenever I see Darcy sitting on _your_ lap," Emma grumbled and Bucky scoffed.

"Unlike you two, Darcy and I are adults who aren't inflicted with teenage hormones," Bucky informed her and Emma gave him a smug look.

"You might be an adult but Darcy definitely isn't," She retorted and Bucky rolled his eyes. His daughter always had to have the last word.

"Are things with you and Darcy going well then, Mr. Barnes?" Peter asked politely and Bucky gave him an unamused look.

"Don't suck up to me. You just had my daughter on your lap. Nothing you say will make me like you," Bucky told him before he turned his attention to the television. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be making Stark a sandwich?"

"I was just being nice," Peter whined, hating how rude Emma's father was to him. He felt like he kept trying to be nice to him and her father kept making it impossible. "I know you don't like me but you just haven't spent enough time to get to know me which actually gives me an idea."

"Oh no," Emma said, looking at her boyfriend in alarm. "That's never good."

"No, I'm serious," Peter said, suddenly look excited. "I know how you can get to know me better. Me, Emma, you, and Darcy should all go on a double date."

"What?" Bucky questioned, staring at his daughter's boyfriend in shock. Peter grinned and nodded excitedly.

"The four of can have a double date here at the compound next weekend and we can finally try to bury the hatchet," Peter told him. It was clear that Peter was proud of this idea but neither Emma and Bucky looked happy about this. "I'll go tell Darcy."

"Please don't," Bucky said in a monotone voice but Peter already got up from the couch.

"Don't worry, _Dad, _you'll like me soon enough," Peter said which horrified both Emma and Bucky. "Sorry…I thought I'd try out the dad thing. I think it works."

"It doesn't work," Bucky said as he glared at the teenage boy. "Don't ever call me that again."

"Bye, _Dad_," Peter said on purpose before quickly leaving the room to go find Darcy. There was a silence that fell over Emma and Bucky before the blonde finally turned to look at her father. She gave him a glare as he just looked at her in puzzlement.

"You just had to give him an idea, didn't you?"

"Shut up."


	6. Chapter Five

**Author's Note: So it's been forever since I updated. Somehow I thought that doing college from home would mean more time on my hands when it was really just the opposite. They piled more HW than ever and it was the most stressed out I've ever been. I seriously thought I was going to fail one my classes. Somehow I passed with a 79% when I needed a 74 % to pass which is lowest grade I've ever gotten but I graduated with honors so I'm really relieved. I've also been occupied with getting a new dog so that's why I haven't updated in forever. He's a Belgian Malinois Shepard mix so very energetic. It took me forever to write this chapter but I finally sat down today and finished it and I'm so glad. Some people might wonder about Matter of Time too but I'm really close to finishing the next chapter of that one. I've just had writer's block with that one.**

**I hope everyone's doing fine in the midst of the pandemic. I'm doing a bit better. I got more hours at work again although my boss sucks so I can't wait to finally take my national exam and start working elsewhere.**

**I have to admit that I was really hesitant in going this route with the new chapter. Mostly because I know some people might get upset with the direction I'm going but it's just what makes sense for future storylines within the story. I think the next chapter will probably be longer. Anyways, I'm just happy to be back to updating the story. **

**I'll do my best at answering any guest reviews. It's just been a while so I'll try not to miss any.**

**Harrah Pottah: Thanks so much! I feel like now's the time to read a bunch of fanfic's now that there's so much time on everyone's hands. I'm glad you picked some of mine. I know I have a habit of never finishing any but someday I plan to finish more fanfics when I just have the one job to worry about without worrying about my online internship and my part-time job while studying for the national exam. **

**Scout: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I think I was semi-aware that I was doing that but I'm this very detail-oriented person so I always worry that there's not enough detail but maybe I'm just overthinking it. Thanks for pointing that out to me but I'll try to work more on it in the future. **

**A fan: Thanks for the recommendations. I've heard a lot of good things about Peaky Blinders so I'll definitely give it a watch one of these days. I've also already seen Mind Hunter which is amazing for someone who has a weird fascination with serial killers like me. I seriously watch too much true crime shows where I'm starting to worry about how much it doesn't scare me anymore. I don't think I've heard of the other show but I'll look it up. Thanks again. Some recommendations I can give back that I've been watching during the pandemic are Killing Eve season 3(I'm so obsessed with this entire series), Snowpiercer( I have a really big crush on Daveed Diggs now), Normal People, You're the Worst, The Great, Defending Jacob, The Morning Show, The Outsider, and Black-ish which I never saw before but I think is a really important show. Especially during these times which tackles both comedy and important issues in society. I like how every episode tackles a different issue. Mixed-ish is also really good if you watch Black-ish. **

**Guest: Thanks for the review. I honestly don't know when I'll update One Word from You. I think I have some of the next chapter written but with everything on my plate I can barely update North Star so it's technically on hold for now. **

**James Potter af: I feel like the fluff loving readers of this story are going to hate me soon. **

**Magic Yoda: Thanks for the review and for being super patient because I know my updates have been super slow this past year. School's just taken a toll out of me but thankfully I graduated. I'm really all about character development so you're definitely going to see Emma change a lot during North Star. Especially during Infinity War and Endgame storylines. I'm glad you love Emma and Tony's relationship. It's one of my favorites too aside from hers with Bucky. It's funny because a lot of people give up on STNS because they can't get past the angsty parts where Emma despises Tony. I always tell them that it's fine and they definitely make amends but they seem to think I hate Tony and want to make him the villain which isn't my intention. I just like writing from my character's perspective instead of my own which is what writing fiction basically is so I'm just glad you really like their complicated relationship. That really means a lot because I put so much time and effort into creating a unique, complex relationship between them.**

**123happy: North Star will never be an unfinished story. I've put so much time and devotion into this story and these characters that I don't think I could ever stop. I can't see myself stopping. I've just been caught up with school and all until recently which is why this update took forever. Thanks for being so patient though. It just dawned on me that STNS is like three years old now and that's completely crazy. I still remember seeing Homecoming for the first time and developing the idea in my head right then and there. I can't believe it's been three years. **

**LeViOSaaaaaa: Emma and Peter are definitely couple goals. It's not so much writer's block but it's just been me being busy and stressed out about school. Thanks for being patient and sticking with the story though. I know I've been slow with updates for a while now but I hope to kind of pick things up more. I totally get the reference. In fact, I hope you get the references in this chapter. **

**Ilovethis: Thanks so much! I'm really flattered that you love this story so much. I really try to write a canon MCU Peter which is why I wrote this story in the first place because I love Tom Holland as Peter. I don't think I could've written this story for this long with any other Spider-Man so it means a lot that you like my depiction of him. I'm pretty picky too. I haven't found a Peter Parker/OC story I really love which is why I keep writing this one, I guess. I think within the next couple chapter's we might see more of Peter's perspective. I know I've really been showing Emma's POV a lot but there will be some more in the next chapter and then a lot in the following couple chapters. Ragnarok is almost here, you guys! I'm so excited. I'm so glad you like my writing. I've always been really self-conscious about it so that really means a lot. **

**Guest: I'm always a bit thrown off when people say I have a great sense of humor because literally no one says that in real life. People tend to think I have no sense of humor and I always joke that it's the German in me. Some things are just easier when you write them down instead of saying it aloud so thanks for letting me know that I'm not trying too hard at being funny. I try to make things canon to the MCU since the films in the MCU can be really funny at times which has always pulled me towards them.**

**Booraroo: So this chapter might not have that much action. Emma's just getting more secretive and stressed out because of that. I think Ragnarok might have more action but things will definitely get really interesting in the next chapter because a lot of shit goes down in that one. I do have a Tumblr account and I give more updates on the story's progress on that. I go by luckystrikesalterego. You can PM if you want and I mostly just reblog funny, cool, important, or weird posts. Mostly Marvel stuff with some horror stuff combined. **

**Marvi: It might still be a while before Peter matures because I plan on being very canon and I don't believe Peter actually matures until post Spider-Man: Far From Home. I actually can't wait for the third Spider-Man movie because I think we'll be seeing an entirely different Peter which I find really interesting. I'm glad you like the tension between Emma and Peter. As much as I love writing fluff between them, I want to be realistic and I think it's realistic that Emma might want to have a life separate from the Avengers and all the things that goes with them. Peter's still kind of new to this lifestyle and Emma's tired of it so I think this will add to the tension and especially in this chapter. Things were never going to be happily ever after just because they're together and her father's back. I've honestly learned as I've grown up that sometimes being in love isn't enough to fix everything. It's more complicated than that and it takes more sometimes which I think Emma's going to realize soon. **

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. I know it's been a while but thanks for being so patient. Please let me know what you think of the chapter(and please don't hate me for it). **

* * *

"I have to pee really bad," Peter whined as both he and Emma waited in line outside the concert venue. They were in line for the Haim concert Peter bought them tickets for. Emma was beyond excited. Her heart was racing as she felt the anticipation rise for the concert. She couldn't remember ever feeling this excitement. Well, of course she had been excited for things like her father and Steve's return and her very first date with Peter along with most dates with Peter. However, this was different sort of excitement.

A more laid back excitement.

"Well, hold it," Emma told him, staring at the security checkpoints. This was probably the only thing in her life that she was willing to leave all weapons behind for so she had nothing to worry about. "I don't want to lose our place in line. You promised we'd be in the front row."

"I know but that was before I had that slushie from Delmar's," Peter told her and Emma looked back at him.

"Doesn't your Spidey powers give you a stronger bladder?" Emma questioned and Peter shook his head.

"No," Peter told her and Emma turned back to look at the crew security who might've seemed intimidating to the average person.

It was a couple weeks since she made contact with Strange. She was still discreetly following him but she hadn't spoken to him since that day on the street. From her tracking device, she was still able to spy on him and everything kept getting weirder and weirder. Emma hoped to find out whatever the weird doctor was hiding.

There was also the fact that Emma was still lying to everyone about the fact that she made contact with Strange and found him to be more suspicious than ever. Emma just didn't want to give them all the details before she had all facts. She may also not have trusted Ross. It wasn't to say that she didn't trust Tony and Peter either. It was just that Tony wouldn't have a choice but to tell Ross anything she said or he would be violating the accords. Emma also didn't want to put Peter in an awkward position with having to keep secrets from Tony.

The only person that knew what she was up to was her father and she was confident he wouldn't tell anyone about her extracurricular activities in spying on Strange. He trusted her judgement and trusted that she knew what she was doing. Her father understood why she didn't trust Ross with the information she gathered and left it up to her to decide what to do with her information.

The only thing was that Emma still wasn't sure what she was going to about the info she gathered about Strange. Emma didn't even know what that info was at this point.

"The second we get in there, I'm going to the bathroom," Peter told her and Emma nodded. "Just save me a spot in the front."

"Okay," She agreed and she seemed almost giddy with excitement which didn't escape Peter's notice. "Do I look okay?"

"What?" Peter asked in amusement. He found it funny how nervous Emma was. Usually, she was very confident and maybe even a little cocky but she seemed entirely nervous in this situation. It might've had to do with the fact that she was meeting her favorite band.

"I wasn't sure if I should've worn this skirt and this top or the velvet dress I have with-" Emma started to say when Peter started laughing at her.

"I hope that you put this much care into your first date with me that you are right now," Peter said jokingly and Emma playfully glared at him.

"That's different. You're a guy. I could've worn anything and you would've kissed me senseless," Emma told him and Peter shrugged. She definitely had a point. "These are the three coolest women in the world. They have the coolest fashion sense, they're in a fucking rock band together, and they're sisters. What I wear matters."

"Emma, you look amazing as always," He told her with a smile on his face. "I'm serious. People are probably wondering what the hottest girl standing here in line is doing with a dork like me."

"No, people are probably wondering how there could possibly be such a hot couple in existence," Emma told him and Peter laughed. "Couples that hot only end up together in movies. Not real life but we're proof that it can happen."

"You're so cocky," Peter told her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to him. "I love that about you. You have enough confidence for the both of us since I have none."

"You're so hot that one of the Haim sisters will probably see you in the crowd tonight and have one of the security guards bring you to her dressing room to have her way with you," Emma said and Peter widened his eyes in surprise. "I would be cool with it if it was Este but only if I could come too. I'd be willing to share with Este. Este's hot."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal, Emma," Peter told her and Emma sighed, leaning into her boyfriend's side.

"Don't ruin my dream," Emma told him and he just shook his head. The line finally started moving and Peter suddenly remembered his bladder again.

"Okay, they better be fast about the security checkpoint or I'm going to piss myself," Peter muttered and Emma smirked at him.

"Oh, no. Not the return of Pee Pee Parker," Emma said in feigned horror and Peter glared at her. She was referring to the story Ned told her at Flash's lake house last summer about the time he peed his pants in the first grade. He really needed to get Ned back for that.

"I'm going to get Tony to tell me some embarrassing stories about you," Peter warned her and Emma shrugged.

"I have no embarrassing moments," Emma said smugly but Peter didn't believe her. "I'm perfect. There's no embarrassing moments to find out."

"I don't believe you," Peter told her. "I'll find out something equally as embarrassing. Don't test me."

"Try as hard as you want, Parker. I know you won't," Emma said nonchalantly and Peter furrowed his eyebrows. Challenge accepted.

"We'll just have to see it about that."

* * *

Emma and Peter spent the entire evening in a different world than the one they were usually in. A world full of dancing, singing, and acting like normal teenagers. It was a world Emma would've hated to be a part of at one point in her life but these days she never wanted it to end. The Haim sisters had been so close that Emma could nearly touch them. She couldn't believe they were there in the same room as her. It was probably the first time she ever felt starstruck which was ironic considering she lived with some of the most famous people in the world. At one point in the night, she could've sworn that Este smiled at her which may have been one of the best moments in Emma's life.

"Lizzo was so great too," Emma told Peter as he walked her home from the concert. The concert had been over a short while ago and Emma's ears were still adjusting from the loud music that probably destroyed her overly sensitive hearing. She could barely hear her self talk but it had all been worth it. A Haim concert shirt Peter bought her hung over her arm as the couple held hands under the night sky.

"If I took a DNA test would I be one hundred percent that bitch too?" Peter said jokingly and Emma rolled her eyes at her dorky ass boyfriend.

"You're an idiot," She told him but he just laughed at her.

"I'm glad you had a great time," Peter told her and Emma smiled before nodding.

"I did. What about you?" She asked him and Peter smiled back at her.

"Definitely one of my top favorite nights," Peter confirmed. "But after the night we got together and after the first time we had sex."

"I would hope those two things would come before Haim and Lizzo," Emma teased him and he smirked at her.

"They definitely do," Peter told her and Emma smile slowly faded as she looked down between them…as she looked down at their entwined hands. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she had half a mind not to even mention her thought to Peter.

Maybe she wouldn't have if Peter hadn't questioned her.

"What is it?" He asked her and Emma looked back up at him. "Tell me what you're thinking."

Emma swallowed hard. This was very thing she had been afraid of talking to Peter about. She was afraid of causing some rift between them or him giving her an honest answer that she didn't want to hear.

However, she approached the topic carefully.

"What if…every night could be like tonight," Emma asked him quietly and Peter looked at her in confusion. "What if we could do things like this all the time?"

"Go to concerts?" Peter asked her before shrugging. "I can take you to another one if you want."

"That's not what I meant," Emma told him, shaking her head. "I meant what if we could have fun like this. Just the two of us. We never go on dates anymore."

"We can go on dates all the time," Peter told her and Emma scoffed.

"At the compound," She corrected. "We go on double dates with my father and his girlfriend. We never do anything like this. Once every three months maybe."

"I…" Peter started to say but he paused when he realized she was right. They rarely ever went out like this. They mainly just did homework together or they watched Netflix. "You're right. We really don't do this that often anymore. I just want you all to myself, I guess, and I didn't really think that you minded not going out. Is that what this is about? Do you feel like I just want sex or something?"

"What?" Emma questioned in bewilderment. That was totally not what she meant. What Emma was trying to get at was more along the lines of him considering the possibility of domestic bliss without all the Spider-Man and Viper drama entangled with that.

"Because we rarely go out anymore," Peter explained, looking worried as he stared back at her. "Do you feel like all I'm interested in is sex? We do have a lot of that. I'm not sure what's normal for the average couple but I never meant to make you feel like I'm using you or anything like that. We can take a break from it if you want or if it makes you feel more comfortable."

"It's not about sex, Peter," Emma told him firmly. "I'm totally fine with that. More than fine, actually. I just meant that it would be more fun if we had more time to ourselves."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked in confusion and Emma sighed.

"What if there was more you and me while there was less Spider-Man and Viper," Emma said carefully, looking at her boyfriend hesitantly. He just stared at her.

"I don't get it," Peter said in confusion. "We _are_ Spider-Man and Viper. How can there be more of us and less of them if we're the same people?"

Emma realized then that he wouldn't understand.

If she told him that someday she wanted the both of them to give up their superhero alter-egos, he would refuse. Peter might even get mad at her and call her selfish for even suggesting it. He'd lecture her in a Steve way about the two of them being given these powers for a reason…whether it was from a higher power or just plain fate, Emma didn't know.

Not that Emma believed in any of that bullshit.

Frankly, if there was a God and he put her through years of torture, rape, and killing then he was the cruelest being in the universe and Emma could really give a shit less what he wanted her to do with those powers.

"It's nothing. I just meant…where do you see us ten years from now?" Emma asked him bluntly.

Peter stared at her incredulously.

It wasn't like Emma to ask questions about the future. In fact, this was probably the first time she had ever asked. Peter would casually mentions things about marriage and Emma would change the subject. Peter didn't mind because he loved living in the moment with her. Besides…they were still young and he figured they had lots of time before they seriously addressed the future.

"What?" He questioned and Emma nodded.

"You heard me," Emma told him and Peter stared at her for a moment before answering her.

"You want an honest answer?" Peter asked her and Emma nodded again. "I know you don't like hearing the word marriage but I really do see us married. I see us married and hopefully living in a nice house not too far from May. I'll be working at Stark Industries and art galleries will be decorated with your paintings. I see us with kids too. Hopefully they look like you because you're the most beautiful girl in the whole world. Definitely the better looking one out of the two of us."

Emma didn't answer him but he continued on nonetheless.

"I thought we'd name one of them Anthony if we have a son. Mr. Stark brought us together in a way so it makes sense," Peter told her softly. "We could name the others Bucky and Steve. Or we could just name them original names if we had girls. I always liked Hannah. There were these kids in my apartment building who were bullying me when I was little and this older neighbor girl saved me. Her name was Hannah and I just always liked the name, I guess."

Emma had always strongly been against having children. Of course, there was the sole reason of her finding them disgusting and too much responsibility but there was also the fact that she didn't think she would be a good mother. Her own mother died when she was four and Emma never had a constant mother figure in her life to replace her…maybe Steve if she thought really hard about it.

Not to mention any children she had with Peter would be cursed with the same powers they had and would be ruthlessly hunted by people who sought to use them for their abilities. It was a fate that was bestowed upon her and Emma would not wish that upon anyone. Especially her own children.

That being said…now that she had become more dead set on a domestic life with Peter, she realized children more than likely came with that. Maybe if they both retired from Spider-Man and Viper, they could have that. Marriage and children. A typical teenage girl's fantasy come to life. Maybe she could overlook disgusting things about kids like snot and diapers if the kids shared half of Peter's DNA. Emma worried that she wouldn't be able to love her own children but if they had Peter's eyes she knew it would be impossible not to adore them.

Maybe the kids would even be safe. If they quit Spider-Man and Viper then there would be no harm. Maybe even Tony could fake Spider-Man and Viper's death so that everyone would believe they were dead and the children wouldn't be sought after in the first place. No harm done.

Emma and Peter could live a happy life.

She could even maybe picture it.

An older version of them living in a house together with two kids. Because two was as many as Emma would ever be willing to have. Not that she would let Peter know that. She would let him think one was the limit and once he annoyed her to death, she would let him think he won and have another one.

_"Can you believe he's already starting school," An adult Peter would say to her. He didn't look much different than he did now except there was an older way about himself. Something in his eyes that looked wiser and more mature. _

_"I know," An adult version of herself said as they looked over at their children playing together on the living room floor. There was a boy who looked like an exact replica of Peter and a slightly younger girl who looked like a replica of Emma. _

_"I feel like we were just at the hospital yesterday holding him in our arms. Your dad and Steve were freaking out so much that day. Aunt May had to console them," Peter said, wrapping his arms around Emma from behind and kissing her cheek as they watched their children. "Tony was surprisingly calm. I thought he out of everyone would be freaked out."_

_"He used to babysit me when I was little, remember. He's seen it all," Emma said in response. Peter laughed and nodded in agreement._

_"I hate to think of her going to school," Peter said in reference to their daughter. "Because then it won't be long until she's fifteen."_

_"Why is fifteen so bad?" Emma questioned and Peter scoffed._

_"I met you when we were fifteen and it doesn't help that she's your mini me. She'll look exactly like you. I know exactly what fifteen-year-old boys think of," Peter told her and Emma laughed._

_"So it was okay to think those things when it was me who was the fifteen year-old?" Emma questioned as she pulled away to look at him. Peter nodded. "It's not okay for other fifteen-year-old boys to think that way."_

_"Not at all," Peter said before giving her a goofy smile. "I still remember the day I first saw you walk into the cafeteria. The most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in my whole life."_

_"You're full of shit, Parker," Emma told him. "Let us not forget about Liz Allan."_

_"That was literally twelve years ago. I can't believe you're still on about that," Peter said, rolling his eyes at her. "Whatever happened to Liz Allan, anyways?"_

_"Probably became a serial killer, or a meth head, or even worse…became an accountant," Emma said nonchalantly and Peter shook his head in amusement._

_"Well, I married you. The girl I met in the school cafeteria who actually turned out to be my future wife," Peter said, looking adoringly at her. "I can't wait to tell the kids the story when they're older. Should we leave out the Vulture stuff?"_

_"It's not the same story if we leave out the Vulture stuff," Emma told him and he nodded, knowing she was right. He then leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, an action that Emma immediately reciprocated. Their kissing was interrupted a moment later when the two littlest Parkers yelled in disgust. _

_"Ew…stop it!" They said in unison as their parents finally pulled away from each other. The two adults laughed at their disgusted children. _

_"You don't like it when I kiss Mommy?" Peter said in feigned concern. The two children shook their heads and Peter just grinned before turning to his wife. "Well, too bad."_

_Peter kissed her again but in a more exaggerated and sloppy way, causing Emma to laugh through the kiss. Their son and daughter squealed in disgust again but the couple ignored them, taking delight in teasing their kids. _

Emma snapped out of the fantasy with the realization that none of it seemed bad. It didn't seem bad at all. Emma even felt as though it was something she could get on board with. Kids wouldn't be so bad. Maybe if she was lucky they'd be the kind who never cried and were perfectly behaved.

It was the first time Emma ever wanted any of that and she was about to admit it to Peter when he said something else that completely stopped her.

"And when we have to do any Spider-Man and Viper stuff, the Avengers can babysit them at the compound," Peter said happily and Emma looked at him in horror. He wasn't paying attention though. He was looking off into the distance as he daydreamed about their future. "Vision would probably be a really cool babysitter."

Her brief fantasy was disrupted with images of her stuck at home with kids while waiting for Peter to return home. Better yet, she envisioned some villain seeking revenge against Spider-Man and hurting their kids. Peter was stuck in a fantasy world where they could have everything. Spider-Man, Viper, a perfect marriage, and kids. Emma lived in reality where she knew they had to pick one over the other.

What was the point?

He would never give up Spider-Man. He really was too much like Steve. Just like Captain America was everything to Steve, Spider-Man was everything to Peter. Emma fell for Peter because he had the same qualities Steve had and that was her fatal flaw.

Which was why Emma knew she would never have children with him.

Why put innocent children through the same thing she went through?

The same thing her own parents put her through because they were selfish and foolish. What Steve put her father through because he was also selfish and foolish in his own right. Emma wouldn't let history repeat herself. No matter how surprisingly much she wanted that fantasy. She might've been at times cold and unmoved by children but Emma didn't want anyone having the same childhood she had. No one deserved that.

Even so, she didn't express this to Peter.

Not wanting to ruin his happy mood, she just nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm glad we had this conversation, Emma," Peter told her, giving her a small smile. She didn't say anything. She just nodded as they continued walking down the street. Emma wasn't so sure if she was glad for the conversation. It just made her more scared for the future. Scared when Peter asked her for those things when she had no choice but to refuse him.

Emma loved Peter Parker more than anything and normally she would give him anything he wanted…but she just couldn't give him those things.

As much as she pretended to not care about anything, she found that she cared a lot about her and Peter's non-existent children. It didn't make sense but she thought she loved them too much to subject them to the kind of life she had been forced to have.

The Avengers?

Peter actually imagined the Avengers babysitting their children?

Didn't he see how wrong that was? Putting their kids in the same house as the Avengers. Emma knew if she had kids that she didn't want them to have anything to do with the Avengers. The Avengers were trouble and as much as Emma didn't mind living with them, she didn't want any of her kids to have a less than normal life. A less than normal life Emma was forced to have.

A life stuck in a tower full of superheroes.

It seemed silly to put this much thought into kids she would never have. Kids she thought she loved too much to have. Peter didn't see it that way but it was how she felt.

Emma wasn't going to change her mind either.

Or, at least, she didn't think she would.

She never really trusted herself with Peter, after all.

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Her father questioned in confusion. He had her pinned down in the one of the gyms in the compound. It was nothing unusual for them. They usually trained on the weekends to keep Emma in shape for her ventures out as Viper as well as her father just staying generally in shape. It gave him something to do as well and it was their usual father-daughter bonding time.

"What's wrong with _me_?" Emma asked questioned sarcastically. "I think you should wonder what's wrong with you. What kind father treats his daughter like this? Some would call this abuse."

"Don't be dramatic," Bucky told her as he rolled his eyes before loosening his grip and getting up from the floor. He offered a hand to her which she took graciously. "I think you're spending too much time with Stark."

"Any time spent with Tony is too much," Emma retorted as she took a long sip from her water bottle. Her father shook his head.

"I was referring to the fact that you've been distracted lately," He pointed out to her. "You usually never let me get the upper hand like that. I haven't been able to take you down that easily since you were this high."

Bucky gestured to his hip and Emma sighed heavily. She knew she couldn't hide anything from her father. He knew her better than anyone else and it went both ways.

"Okay…so I might be having some minor relationship problems with Peter," Emma admitted and Bucky stared at her so she continued to explain. "After the Haim concert the other night, we kind of had a talk about the future."

"Did you talk to him about those things you mentioned to me?" Bucky asked her and Emma shrugged. "About maybe not wanting to be an Avenger?"

"Well, it's funny you mention that because I was totally going to mention that to him," Emma said nervously and her father gave her an unimpressed look. "I had a speech prepared but then he started going on and on about how we'd have kids and the Avengers could babysit them. He seemed so happy that I didn't want to ruin it by mentioning how I really didn't want to be an Avenger or Viper and I especially wanted to get as far away from that lifestyle as I could."

"You chickened out," Bucky accused and Emma blushed. "And kids? I'm going to pretend like I didn't just hear that. You're only seventeen."

"Okay, so I don't really like kids. They're gross, messy, and annoying," Emma said as if she was trying to reassure him. Bucky scoffed. "Who can blame me?"

"Like you were a walk in the park," Bucky muttered and Emma glared at him. "You used to ask me around a million questions a day. I considered tossing you in a ravine half the time but I figured Pierce might keep me on ice for a decade if I did that."

"Father of the year," Emma said sarcastically and Bucky just shrugged. "Did I think about kids for a brief second? Well, maybe I did."

"What?" Her father asked in horror and Emma nodded.

"I mean, I used to not want any friends and now I have them. I used to hate the idea of falling in love with some moron and I'm in love the dorkiest dork of all time," Emma said as she explained everything to her father. "I don't hate the idea of marriage but I just feel like people like me don't get married but I'm sure I would eventually get used to the idea but kids…kids are different."

"I don't understand," Bucky said and Emma looked at him in bewilderment.

"You, of all people, should understand," Emma told him. "Would you have kids?"

"Are you asking me if I don't want to be a father? Emma, you know how much I love and care-" Bucky told her but she interrupted him.

"This isn't about you and me. This is about whether or not you would have a baby ever, knowing what would happen to them. Knowing that some ex-Hydra agent would take them and turn them into some weapon like they did to me," Emma told him, causing Bucky to take a second to think. He got really quiet as he watched her. "Could you knowingly have children, knowing what kind of life you would be setting them up for? Living in fear every second of the day because you know that any second some asshole could come in and ruin everything. You know everything Hydra did to me in that base so you know they would do the same to any child you have."

"I don't know what you're asking me," Bucky said quietly and Emma looked at him.

"I'm asking you if you would ever have children…not some sad orphan you take under your wing like me," Emma said in a serious tone. "I'm asking you if you and Darcy someday get more serious and she decides she wants a kid. Would you have one?"

"No." Bucky finally admitted with a sad look on his face. "There was a time when I was the old me where that was the only thing I dreamed of. I dreamed of coming back from the war, finding a girl, getting married, and having a house full of children but I'm not that guy anymore. With everything that's happened to me I'm not sure I'd be suited to that kind of life. Besides…I have you and that's all I've ever needed."

"I thought about having children for two seconds the other night. Leaving all this Avenger crap behind and really going for it with Peter. I figured that no one is born to be a parent but people can learn. You and Steve did. Hell, I'm sure even Tony could be a good father if he and Pepper ever had a kid," Emma said thoughtfully as her father listened to her. "I could see it. Living that domestic life with Peter. No Avengers, no bad guys, and no crime fighting. Just the two of us and a couple kids to go with it."

"What happened?" Bucky asked her, knowing that there was something truly bothering her. Emma shook her head.

"Then he started bringing up the Avengers and how we could somehow have it all. We could be these Avengers, have these amazing careers, and still have a happy family regardless of the implications," Emma said bitterly, tears flooding her eyes. "You know who also thought like that?"

"My parents," Emma said after a brief pause of silence. "My parents who were murdered in front of me. A couple of naïve idiots who were selfish in thinking they could have it all. My dad knew better. People had been after him all his life because of Steve but he went through with it anyways and because of their stupidity, they ended up dead and I ended up an orphan who was tortured, raped, and taught to kill. I won't inflict that on anyone else."

"Emma, not that I'm ready to talk about the possibility of you having kids someday but you're too young to be this way," Her father told her honestly. "You have time to think about this."

"I have to make this decision now, Papa," Emma said seriously and her father just looked at her. He didn't what to make of any of this. God, he wished Steve was here. Steve always knew what to say. "Don't you see? I have to be the change. Steve was careless, my father was selfish, and so I have to put an end to history repeating itself. This means no kids."

"It's your decision," Bucky told her, respecting her choice. He honestly thought she was too young to write off having no kids. She shouldn't even be thinking about that but it had to be that boy's fault. The kid was always going on about marrying Emma that he didn't realize he was scaring her at the same time.

"The only thing is that Peter wants kids. He wants marriage, kids, and he also wants to be Spider-Man," Emma told him sadly, looking conflicted. "I can't be Viper forever, Papa. I don't want to and I also can't have kids if he's going to go out there as Spider-Man. I thought I could have kids if we both stopped the Avengers stuff. Tony could fake Spider-Man and the Viper's deaths and no one would ever know any differently but the only problem is that Peter would never give up Spider-Man. Not even for me."

"Emma, you can't know that unless you talk to him," Bucky told her and Emma shook her head. She was incredibly stubborn which was a Rogers trait he knew all too well.

"I don't have to talk to him to know that," Emma said sadly and it was clear that her mind was already made up about this. "He can't see a life where Spider-Man isn't in it. A life like that doesn't exist to him but the only problem is that it's the life I think I want."

"What are you saying? Are you saying you're going to break up with him?" Bucky asked in shock. He might've pretended not to like Emma's boyfriend but it was his job not to like him. However, Bucky couldn't deny how happy the boy made her. He couldn't see Emma dumping him. It didn't make sense in his mind. "You're going to dump your precious Parker. I thought he was the love of your life and all that other bullshit."

"I don't know," Emma said in confusion, not knowing where her head was. "I mean, I love him more than anything. I can't be without him but at the same time we so obviously want different things. I don't want to lose him but I also don't want the same things he wants. Should I do those things for his sake so I don't lose him or should I do what I want and lose him in the process? I don't know."

"You should never change yourself for a boy," Bucky told her seriously. "I don't care if you don't want to lose him. Lying to yourself and him will only doom the relationship. I'm not an expert but even I know that."

"I don't know what I want. I'm so confused," Emma said on the verge of crying and her father pulled her in for a hug. He could tell she was in pain over this and he wanted to slap that stupid boy who had her all torn up like this. He supposed he shouldn't be mad at Peter. Peter didn't know any better. "I just know that I love him but I can't give him the things he wants."

"I know, Emma. I know," Bucky said softly as he kissed her forehead and rubbed her back soothingly. "It's going to be okay though."

"No, it's not," Emma told him, sounding terrified at the aspect of losing Peter. Just the idea of not being with Peter anymore scared her. She imagined some other, less damaged, girl taking her place and giving him the things Emma didn't think she could give him. Peter would probably be happier anyways with a normal girl. He'd probably wonder why he was even with Emma Rogers.

Someone who was more trouble than what she was worth.

"You just need to be honest with him and tell him everything you just told me," Bucky told her and Emma nodded. "You can't just pretend your way through a relationship. I know you're afraid of losing him but it needs to be done."

"I know," Emma said quietly and Bucky just continued to hold her. It was the only thing that could comfort her and they both knew that. She was scared of possibly losing Peter but she knew her father was right. It was the only thing that she could do. There was no other solution than opening up to Peter and having a talk with him about her feelings.

The two stood there in silence for who knows how long. The only thing the neither of them realized was that they had the attention of a certain billionaire who was unsure of what he just witnessed. He only caught the tail end of the conversation but he already heard more than he wanted to do.

"Fuck," Tony said under his breath.

The kid and Emma were going to break up?

What the fuck did the kid do now?

Tony honestly had no idea but now he was stuck with the burden of having this information. How did he find himself in the middle of teenage drama. This was the last thing he needed in his life. Between wedding planning and dealing with Accords bullshit, Tony didn't need to be caught up in Emma and Peter's relationship drama.

The only thing he needed to figure out was whether to tell Peter what he just heard.

God, he really needed a drink.

* * *

"You're following me, aren't you?" Stephen Strange said, making an entrance as he flew down from the second floor of his place on Bleeker Street. Emma looked around in shock that she couldn't conceal even with all her training.

One second she was on the sidewalk outside his house and the next, she was somehow standing in his foyer. Emma had a half a mind to reach for the knife hidden under her skirt but she was never known to jump the gun.

Emma didn't know what this was but it definitely wasn't normal.

"I've been following you for weeks," Emma told him honestly as she narrowed her eyes at him. He finally landed in front of her in the weirdest outfit she had ever seen. Emma didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed. This old man was too old to be dressing like a wizard.

"Weeks? I only noticed today," Stephen said in a curious tone as he looked at the blonde teenager in front of him. He didn't know what to make of her. Why would some teenager be following him around for?

"You do realize you look like a middle-aged dork, don't you?" Emma questioned and he glared at her. "You look like just crawled out of your parent's basement after playing dungeons and dragons."

"You're the same kid I helped a couple weeks ago," Stephen said, ignoring her jab at his outfit. Emma scoffed.

"No shit, Sherlock," Emma told him before taking another look around his house.

It was definitely a weird place.

It looked too old-fashioned for it's location. Not to mention there were numerous weird artifacts around the room. Emma didn't understand what it all meant. She knew from what she heard through her tracker that Strange was definitely into some weird shit but this was even weirder than what she thought.

"Why are you following me?" He asked, figuring their interaction a couple weeks ago was all fake. She was probably never injured to begin with. Emma tore her gaze from the skylight to look back at him with eyes that Stephen thought were too wise for a teenager.

"Let's just say you've got the attention of some people you don't want to fuck with," Emma said bluntly, causing Stephen to look at her with wide eyes. "They've been watching you for a long time."

"How long?" Stephen asked her, not knowing what to make of the teenager. He didn't understand why a teenager would be involved in any of this. It didn't make any sense to him.

"Long enough to know that you're up to something," Emma said casually as she observed an odd looking vase sitting on a pedestal. "You know, you used to be on Hydra's radar when you were a surgeon. You were on Project Insight's list which isn't a place anyone wants to be."

"Project Insight?" Stephen asked her in confusion and Emma nodded.

"Project Insight was part of Hydra's plan to eradicate the world of any threats to their terrorist organization. They had a list of people they saw as potential threats…including you," Emma told him and Stephen looked disturbed by this information. "You're lucky Cap stopped it all before it happened because you were probably seconds away from annihilation."

"Cap?" Stephen said before a look of realization came over him. "You're with the Avengers, aren't you? But why would the Avengers have a teenager spying on me?"

"I'm not an Avenger," Emma said as though she were adamant about not being thought of as an Avenger. "I'm just an associate. The Avengers sent me because they've noticed that you've been involved in a couple mysterious events over the past couple years since you returned from Nepal. They don't know what's going on with you and that scares them because if there's one thing Tony Stark hates more than anything, it's not knowing things."

"I'm not interested in what the Avengers have to offer. I'm not looking to be recruited into anything," Stephen said calmly and Emma smirked at him.

"You don't realize how much trouble you're in, do you?" Emma said tauntingly and Stephen gave her a bewildered look. "The Avengers new motto is either join us or retire forever. If not then you'll find yourself submerged in an underwater prison. The only thing is…that you'll be stuck down there because unfortunately for you, you're not Captain America's best friend so he probably won't help you out."

"So you're threatening me," Stephen accused as he tensed up. He was two seconds away from conjuring a portal and throwing her into it. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that she was a kid.

"I know that something's wrong with you," Emma said seriously as she locked eyes with him. "I put a tracker on you and I've been listening to all your conversations. I've heard terms thrown around like dimensions and realms."

"Maybe I'm just crazy," Stephen said and Emma gave him a doubtful look.

"You're an educated man. You were a neurosurgeon for years and one of the top in the country. It takes a lot to get Hydra's interest," Emma informed him. "Trust me, I thought that maybe you were some lunatic who lost it after the tragedy of losing your career because of a car accident. But then I realized there were weirder things in the universe. I mean, I've met an alien prince who swings around a magical hammer. Dimensions and realms aren't half as weird as that."

"Who are you?" Stephen asked suspiciously. Emma shrugged, not really interested in talking about herself.

"Let's just say I'm someone the Avengers trust but not someone who necessarily believes the Avengers always have the world's best interest," Emma said sincerely, wanting to have a very real conversation with this man. "I'm supposed to report back to them if I think there's anything less than ordinary about you. Then they'll bring you in and give you two options. Either join us or stop what you're doing. If you don't surrender then they'll imprison you. No trial."

"Is that a threat?" He questioned and Emma shook her head.

"I'm not threatening you, I'm telling you how the Avengers works now that they let the government be involved in their business," Emma informed him. "It's a whole different system than when Captain America was here. I've seen the inside of the Avengers. It's pathetic. All they do is sit around at a table all day, just the three of them, and argue amongst each other. Nothing gets done meanwhile the world is inflicted in chaos."

"You work for the Avengers. Why are you against them?" Stephen argued and Emma shook her head.

"I'm not against them. I've just seen what they're like," Emma told him honestly. There was almost a sad looking expression on her face as if she missed something…or perhaps someone. Stephen Strange summed it up as one of the fugitive Avengers she more than likely missed. Maybe this was why she didn't seem happy about the new route the Avengers have gone in recent years. "They're too tied up with political stuff to do their job. I figure if you're really someone who's all about something lame like saving the world then you don't need to end up with them."

"I don't get what you want," Stephen said, still slightly suspicious. Emma took a deep breath before answering.

"I want you to tell me what you are and by that I mean everything," Emma said, not wanting to beat around the bush. "Tell me everything and I'll decide whether or not I tell the Avengers what you're up to."

"Why should I trust you?" He asked her.

"I haven't told them about all the stuff I've found out about you," Emma said in a calm voice. "I wasn't supposed to even interact with you and I really wasn't supposed to plant a tracker on you so they haven't been privy to everything I've been up to. You can either tell me everything or I'll just go to Tony Stark and tell him you're the next Loki."

Emma didn't notice the portal the oddly dressed man had been conjuring until it appeared. When she did notice it, her eyes widened in shock. It was almost like an open window except for the fact that it appeared in the middle of the foyer. It was bordered by what looked like glittering orange ropes and when she looked through, she could see a desert.

Emma wasn't sure which desert but probably off in some distant land. She watched in amazement as a snake slithered across the sand. Emma knew if she reached her hand out through the portal that she could touch the sand and feel the heat of the sun against her skin.

"I could push you through that portal," Stephen said in what he must've thought was an intimidating voice. "I could close it and no one would ever find you. You shouldn't threaten adults, kid."

"And you should really keep an eye on your property," Emma said smugly, holding his phone in her hand.

Stephen's eyes widened in disbelief. Not just in disbelief over the fact that she had stolen his phone but disbelief over the fact that she wasn't scared of his threat.

"You spent all this time doing your little magic trick that you didn't even notice me doing this," Emma said in an arrogant tone before making a threat of her own. She didn't take too well to being threatened. "Now I can just take this to Mr. Stark and have him hack into all your private info. I'm sure there's something on this phone that'll tell us what you are."

"Give that back," Stephen said, trying to use a stern tone with her. He didn't have much experience with kids so he didn't know how to be stern with one. "Give it back or I'll call your parents."

"Um, okay," Emma said, unimpressed with the doctor.

The man then made a grab for his phone, thinking he could easily overpower the slender looking teenage girl. However, when he made a grab for his phone, Emma easily pushed him away. She barely touched him and he was pushed back on to the floor with the portal collapsing behind him.

"That's sad. Your lock screen is just a generic rain drop one," Emma asked him as he looked up at her in shock. "Your life must be boring."

"How did you do that?" He asked in surprise and Emma look at him like he was stupid. She was over this whole trying to prove who was better thing. She wanted him to tell her everything. She wanted to know what he was so she could decide whether that was information the Avengers should know.

"It doesn't matter," Emma told him as he was still trying to process the fact that a teenage girl pushed him with so much strength that he slid across the floor several feet. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

"What are you? The Black Widow's daughter?" Stephen asked sarcastically. Emma laughed before tossing his phone back to him.

"I wish," She told him and she feigned a look of concern as she looked down at him. "Do you need some help, Dr. Strange? I know how you're old and your bones must be brittle. I don't need you breaking a hip on me."

"I'm thirty-seven, you little shit," Stephen snapped at her before getting up from the floor, dusting off his cloak. He glared down at the thing. She chose a hell of a time to not help him.

"Really?" Emma questioned. "Well, you age really bad for a thirty-seven-year-old."

"So you're one of them," Stephen said as he looked at her suspiciously.

"One of _them_?" Emma questioned, pretending to look offended. "That's rude. But, yes. I guess you can say that I have above average abilities."

"How?" He asked and Emma decided to answer a couple questions for him in hopes that he would do the same for her. Earn his trust a little bit and all of that.

"It's complicated," Emma told him honestly. "I was sort of born this way. People took me when I was a kid and thought they'd make a weapon out of me. They gave me something to make me stronger and made me do their dirty work. The Avengers rescued me and here I am."

"You seem really grateful. All you've done is talk shit about them," Stephen retorted and Emma looked away from him.

"The concept of the Avengers is a good one but the reality isn't. They're not a team. They're just a bunch of people with different ideals who can't agree on anything," Emma told him and he just watched her curiously. "Now that I've told you about me, why don't you tell me about you?"

"It might take a while," Stephen said and Emma shrugged.

"I don't care if it takes all night," She told him and he sighed heavily.

"Let's just get it over with."

* * *

"So you're a wizard," Emma said, causing the man in question to roll his eyes. She had to admit that even she was surprised by some of what the older man told her. He must've spent well over an hour explaining to her about what he kind of sorcerer who didn't accidentally obtain his powers in some sort of accident. He learned his powers. It was probably the first time Emma had ever met someone who learned their powers.

"I'm a sorcerer supreme," He corrected, rolling his eyes at the teenager.

"But you did go to a wizard school," Emma retorted and he sighed heavily.

"I went to Kamar-Taj which is not Hogwarts," Stephen tried to tell her and Emma just shrugged. She still thought he was a wizard. Maybe not a cool one like Sirius Black or Snape but still a wizard. He was probably more of a Slughorn type of wizard.

"So the dimension thing is…" She trailed off and Stephen nodded.

"It's real," He told her sincerely. "All of it. I've been to them and I could show if you wanted."

"No thanks," Emma told him, wrinkling her nose at the aspect of visiting some dimension. She didn't even like leaving her house sometimes. Emma didn't need to travel to some dimension to know that she'd hate it. "I'll take your word for it."

"You're not some evil wizard, right? Like, Voldemort?" Emma asked him, giving him a stare down. Stephen scoffed.

"I'm not Voldemort," Stephen snapped before giving her an incredulous look. "Harry Potter fan, much?"

"Very much," Emma said nonchalantly. "I'm a Slytherin."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Stephen said before moving the conversation forward. "It's not to say that some of us don't tend to turn to dark magic. We don't call it that. It comes from the dark dimension. Some have fallen to it's power. I'm not saying that it only does bad things but in the wrong hands it can."

"You talk as though you've experienced it," Emma observed and Stephen nodded.

"I have," He told her seriously. "While your Avengers have been fighting robots and alien gods, we've been protecting the world from interdimensional threats."

"Sounds fun," Emma noted but she watched him carefully, trying to get a good read on him. He talked about everything from a brief summation of the history of sorcerers to the interdimensional threats that were waiting out there. He showed her around his place which was really something he called a sanctum. There were age-old artifacts lying around the place which he said were waiting for future sorcerers to claim. He even showed her around the library which made Emma look around in wonder.

If she wasn't dealing with a bunch of her own problems at the current moment then she might've even considered drinking the kool-aid. Books and magic…it was almost like a real-life Hogwarts. The only thing that was missing was a wand and Diagon Alley.

"So you see I have no interest in the Avengers," Stephen said honestly. "I'm too busy with interdimensional threats to deal with physical ones."

"You do realize after everything you just told me that the Avengers will force you to join them," Emma told him quietly as she watched Strange's cloak fly through the air. Yeah, she supposed this was the world now. Wizards and their cloaks of levitation.

"I won't do that," He said seriously. "I want no part of the Avengers."

"Then you'll end up in Raft," Emma told him. "You can try to fight them but they have Vision. Even with all your magic tricks, you'll never defeat Vision."

"Is that what you're going to do? You're going to turn me in?" He questioned and Emma smirked before shaking her head.

"I mean, I could but it's not what I really want to do," Emma said and Stephen gave her a confused look. "There's no one really around to save the world anymore. Captain America's on the run with the rest of the team while the Avengers here are tied up in politics. So what if your heroic efforts aren't following the accords. At least, you're doing something."

"You're going to lie to the Avengers for me?" Stephen questioned and Emma shrugged.

"Not for you. I just don't want to watch another person get sent to Raft," Emma told him honestly. "Why throw someone, who's actually doing something to save the world, in prison? The Avengers clearly aren't doing anything so someone who actually is shouldn't be punished."

"Won't you get in trouble for betraying them?" Strange questioned and Emma shrugged.

"I'm not betraying them. I'm just doing what's best for the world. Some would call that selfless," Emma said casually and Stephen gave her a doubtful look. "I won't tell them anything you tell me. I'll just say you're some doctor who lost it after a car accident and joined some cult in Nepal."

"You couldn't pick a story that didn't make me look like a cult leader?" Stephen questioned and Emma smirked at him.

"I could tell them who you really are and you could spend the rest of your life in an underwater prison with zero human contact and barely a pot to piss in," Emma reminded him and Stephen glared at her, grumbling under his breath about arrogant teenagers. "Or when the feds come knocking you can confirm this story and maybe make it believable. Have a couple of your wizard friends reaffirm the cult thing. Then go about your business like I was never here."

"I don't trust you," Stephen told her bluntly but Emma seemed unfazed.

"You don't have a choice," Emma said in response. "So are we good? You're going to keep minding your own business and I'll mind my own business. The Avengers will stick their nose out of everyone's business."

"Yes…we're good," Stephen said slowly as he continued to look suspiciously at the teenage girl. He was desperate to know who she was and what she was to the Avengers. He knew she couldn't be Black Widow or the Scarlet Witch. She looked like neither and she was also much taller than the two both of them…or from what he could tell from the news footage of the two female Avengers.

"Good," Emma said in satisfaction. "I guess I'll go now. See you never. If I do see you then I'll pretend like I don't know you. You're on your own."

"The feeling's mutual," Stephen muttered as Emma stood up from the seat she was sitting at. She was done with all the weird shit she saw today. It was going to take a while to process it all.

The fact there was apparently real wizards in the world and she met one of them.

Emma knew Ross would probably throw her in Raft without a trial if he knew she was hiding the fact that there were a whole bunch of wizards with magical powers living amongst everyone. However, Emma knew hiding their existence was the right thing to do. They were helping the world in ways the Avengers couldn't and they couldn't operate under the rules of the Accords.

Also, anything went against Ross' reign was fun in Emma's mind.

Tony would probably be pissed but Emma was only doing what he wanted. He always wanted her to make more of an effort in her role as Viper and show more initiative. In her own way, she was doing exactly as he wanted.

Probably just not in the way he wanted.

* * *

"News on Strange?" Tony questioned and Emma looked up at him with disinterested look on her face. She was currently in an Avengers meeting which was boring as always with no new missions and nothing to do. Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Peter, and Emma were the only ones present for the meeting today. Thank god because Emma really didn't want to see Ross's stupid face today.

"News on Strange is that he went over the deep end," Emma said calmly, lying to Tony's face. It should've bothered her more that she could lie to him and everyone else with such ease but Emma was annoyed with him. She honestly thought the rift between him and Steve wouldn't last long. She thought the Accords would only last a short while but here they were almost two years later and nothing changed because of whatever egos Steve and Tony had.

Men and their bullshit.

Well, Emma wasn't their little errand girl.

She wasn't going to do all the dirty work while Tony laid back and planned his happy future with Pepper. If he really wanted to know what was going on with Strange then he would've gotten off his ass and found out himself. So if he ever found out she lied to him then it was really his fault and not hers.

Somewhere deep inside Emma's mind, she probably knew that was stupid and completely wrong but it helped her not feel guilty about lying to the Avengers. Probably also about committing treason or whatever gave something for Ross to complain about her.

"Deep end?" Rhodey questioned, frowning at the blonde and Emma nodded.

"It seems like losing the use of his hands and his career took a toll on him. He ran out of money and this scam of a cult in Nepal convinced him he could heal himself," Emma said in an even tone as she explained to the Avengers that Strange wasn't much of a threat at all. "In his own mind, he thinks he's healed. I guess you could say they brainwashed him with a bunch of spiritual cleansing and meditation."

"So there's nothing off about him?" Tony asked her and Emma shrugged.

"I mean, he's a complete lunatic if that's what you mean," Emma told all the other men in the room. "He was telling me about creatures from different dimensions, summoning portals, and his flying magical cloak. If that's not crazy then I don't know what is."

"Wow, I think I met Strange once at a charity ball," Rhodey said quietly, feeling sad over the once brilliant man's current mental state. "He seemed totally fine back then."

"This guy's whole sad, pathetic life revolved around his work," Emma said bluntly, rolling her eyes in her usual fashion as though not to throw anyone off. "No wife and no kids. Just a sad pathetic loser who was married to his career. No friends either because he's a huge asshole. If my life was that sad, I'd probably join a cult too."

"Perhaps it's not fair to be so judgmental of someone who has faced extreme traumatic circumstances," Vision said politely and Emma gave him a look that basically told him to fuck off. Vision was okay but sometimes his niceness rubbed Emma the wrong way.

"Look, I've been watching this guy for weeks now and the most interesting thing he's done is get a pedicure in the east village," Emma said, trying to convince everyone that Strange was no one to worry about. "It was a total waste of time. He's just an unemployed dickhead with too much time on his hand. You should be paying me back for all the hours I wasted following him. Hours that I'll never get back."

"Hours Emma and I could've spent together," Peter blurted out and everyone turned to look at him. Tony raised an eyebrow and Emma shook her head in amusement.

"Hours doing what exactly, Mr. Parker?" Tony questioned, putting the teenage boy on the spot. Peter blushed.

"Um…hours watching _Game of Thrones _and doing homework," Peter lied badly and Tony rolled his eyes.

"More like hours doing each other," Tony muttered, wondering why the hell he put up with these two crazy teenagers. It was well known to everyone except an oblivious Bucky Barnes that they can't keep their hands off each other. "You two are disgusting. I know you're only seventeen, kid, and your sex drive is probably higher than ours but can you spend a single second not thinking about sex? Especially during a work meeting."

"I wasn't-" Peter tried to deny and Tony shook his head in disbelief.

"Man, I miss being seventeen," Tony said in a grumpy tone before returning his attention to Emma who was just staring at Peter with an odd look on her face. He was suddenly reminded of the conversation he overheard between her and Barnes.

He knew it was probably really weird for him to be so invested in someone else's relationship but he couldn't help it. Emma and Peter were adorable together and he also loved those two crazy kids. Peter made Emma more easy going and happier. Emma made Peter more responsible and mature. They evened each other out in the best ways and Tony didn't want to see that disappear.

Why would Emma even consider breaking things off with Peter?

It didn't make sense to Tony why Emma would do that. She adored Peter. She was hopelessly in love with the kid. Were they having problems or something? Did the kid mess up or upset her?

No, Tony highly doubted it.

The kid was crazy about her and worshiped the ground she walked on. He wouldn't risk his relationship with Emma for anything. Which was why something was definitely up with her.

Tony's only dilemma was whether or not to tell Peter about what he heard. He really shouldn't get in the middle of their relationship. It wasn't his business but at the same time Peter was like the son he never knew he had…until some random woman showed up on his doorstep demanding child support and a paternity test. Tony couldn't keep something like this from him. They spent every weekend together in the lab and the kid looked up to him so much.

On the other hand, Emma was his goddaughter. He held her in his arms when she was a baby. Steven was her father and was always there for Tony when Tony's father wasn't. Tony couldn't be disloyal to Emma because of that. He couldn't spill her secrets to Peter if she didn't want him to.

However, maybe Tony would be doing her a favor by telling Peter what he heard. Emma wasn't known to be open about her feelings all the time and maybe she needed a push. So he technically wasn't being disloyal to her by telling Peter what he heard. No, he was actually helping her in a way.

"So it's all cleared up with Strange. No threat?" Tony asked, trying to get his mind off Emma and Peter's relationship issues.

"No threat. Not unless you're some pathetic sad loser with a bunch of cats who will fall prey to a lame and unimpressive cult leader," Emma told them, looking not at all worried about Strange. Rhodey and Vision carefully watched the expression on her face but saw no falter in her usual expression of boredom. "If you want you can go take a visit to his weird house and see for yourself but it'll be a wasted trip. He's a grown man who dresses like he's a poorly paid magician for a kid's birthday party. Maybe he is for all we know."

Emma was totally bluffing about them checking out Strange for themselves. She was actually a little nervous they would pay him a visit. Tony and Rhodey might not be able to notice anything but Vision probably would be able to tell something was off about Strange.

"I'll look over the report you wrote up about Strange," Tony said, nodding as he looked over all of Emma's notes about Strange. Maybe the guy really did lose his mind, after all. "Sounds good. I guess the meeting's over. You two kids can go and do whatever nasty stuff you do. Don't forget protection."

"Let's go," Peter said hurriedly as he grabbed Emma's hand and began to lead her out of the room. Emma swallowed hard.

"I was actually going to help Papa set up his date night with Darcy," Emma told him and Peter gave her a hopeful look.

"I can help," Peter insisted. "I've sent up tons of romantic date nights for us, haven't I? I'm really good at it."

"Yes, you're really romantic. A really amazing boyfriend, Peter," Emma said but Tony could see a certain kind of sadness in her eyes that Peter seemingly missed. "But I think Papa's style is a little different. Look, I just want to spend some quality time with him because I'm supposed to meet up with Steve somewhere during spring break."

"Yeah, I forgot about that," Peter admitted. "We'll catch up later?"

"Of course," Emma promised although she felt her heart beating incredibly fast. Emma always felt guilty whenever she was around him now. Guilty because of the fear she had of having a certain conversation with him. Emma knew it was inevitable but she was just terrified of the outcome.

"You have anything you need my help with in the lab, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked Tony who was broken out of his thoughts. Emma quietly walked out of the room and Tony couldn't help but know that there was something definitely wrong with her. He didn't know what was going on with her and Peter. From what he could tell, Peter seemed perfectly happy so he had no idea what her problem was.

"Yeah, sure, kid. I've been working on that new suit-" Tony started to say and Peter practically beamed at him.

"The nano tech one?" Peter said excitedly and Tony smiled back although it was a bit forced.

"The very same one," Tony said before making a decision in his mind. It probably was best to stay out of other people's relationships but he knew deep down that Emma could be entirely self-sabotaging. Well, Tony wasn't about to let her screw up whatever she had with Peter. Peter was good for her and Tony couldn't stand by and watch her throw any of that away. She might be mad at him for a while but she'd thank him in the end.

She had to.

* * *

Emma watched her boyfriend sleep next to her with a thoughtful look on her face.

It had been a couple days since the meeting at the compound and a few days since her talk with her father. She knew her father was right. Emma knew deep down that a talk with Peter was inevitable. She couldn't keep lying to him like this. Not when she loved him so much.

It was just difficult.

Difficult because she was almost certain that she would lose him if she expressed her feelings of settling down someday without Spider-Man and Viper in their future. Emma wished that she could be more like him and Steve. That she could risk her life selflessly like them every night without the selfish desires she had but after everything she didn't feel willing to lose everything she found after living in a cold dark room for nine years knowing nothing but bloodshed and death.

He was so beautiful, Emma thought to herself.

Emma wanted to have him to herself forever. She didn't want to share him with anyone else. Especially the world who needed Spider-Man. It was in that moment that Emma hated Spider-Man. She eyed the suit that was still lying on her bedroom floor where he discarded it a few hours before.

Spider-Man was the other woman in a sense.

Spider-Man threatened everything Emma had with Peter. Spider-Man would ultimately be the one to break her heart because Peter would pick Spider-Man over her every time because he wasn't selfish like her. Emma was also convinced that she loved Peter more than Peter loved her. Peter would never ask her to pick himself over Viper because he didn't care enough to ask her that.

Emma always had dark feelings towards Peter that scared her sometimes. She always knew that if he ever cheated on her with some other girl that she would never hurt him. Definitely not but she would definitely hurt whatever girl that tried to steal him from her.

Peter was hers and hers alone.

They belonged together but Emma couldn't help but realize that he was her biggest weakness.

Emma would ruin her whole life for Peter Parker. If he begged her to, she knew she would give him children even if she knew it was a mistake. Emma didn't think she could say no to him. Peter could hurt her if he wanted to and Emma would let him. If he ever tried to kill her, Emma didn't think she would fight back and the feeling scared her.

She didn't used to be like this.

So submissive to one person. Unable to resist their charm and pull. Emma used to be angry and bitter, refusing to let anyone control her after Hydra yet here she was all over again. A mess because she feared losing someone who she let in way too far.

Emma remembered a time when she planned on running away. Back at the school dance last school year. Sometimes she wondered what life would've been like if she really had ran away. Emma would probably be in Wakanda with her father, taking care of a bunch of smelly goats. It wouldn't be the ideal life but at least she wouldn't be faced with this much heart break.

The blonde closed her eyes as laid her head back against Peter's bare chest. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her because she wasn't sure how much longer she would have this. How long she would be able to have him.

A part of her thought that maybe he would be happy that she wanted to back away from the Avengers. Maybe he would be excited for them to live like normal people and say goodbye to Spider-Man and Viper. He'd hug her and kiss her when she told him, telling her that he had the same exact dream.

These were the dreams of an optimistic Emma who's thoughts weren't centered in reality.

Emma's hopes and dreams were far different than reality.

She thought about how much she loved Peter as she drifted off to sleep.

If there was anything she learned in the past year and a half was that loving people was hard. A lot harder than they made it seemed in the movies where two characters fell in love and everything was magically okay. Love was more complicated than just being together.

Emma was starting to think that maybe loving someone wasn't enough.

Maybe there had to be more than just being in love with someone.


	7. Chapter Six

**Author's Note: So this chapter came a lot quicker than anticipated. It's kind of a tear-jerker and well, just so much happens so be warned. I'd also like to put a warning for this chapter because of a scene that contains unprotected sex. Don't do as two irresponsible teenagers would do. I'm also excited because I'm super thrilled to announce that the Thor: Ragnarok storyline starts next chapter. I'm a year off schedule but I finally made it and I have so many huge plans for this story.**

**Marvi: Emma and Peter will always be endgame(not sure if the pun is or isn't intended) but they're so young and want different things. I don't think everything was going to be completely alright with them. They just need to figure stuff out amongst themselves. I think Emma's age throws Strange off. People always expect Viper to be an adult because she worked for Hydra and everything. He was probably more likely to think she was Scarlet Witch than Viper but I honestly think he thinks she's related to one of the Avengers which isn't far off. Probably not at this point with the double dates. I considered writing an actual scene with that but then it didn't really make sense with everything else going on. Maybe someday way in the future. **

**LoveHALSEY: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I've been so anxious about some of the character decisions I've made but I'm glad everyone seems to maybe not like it but instead appreciate the need or the choice itself. So thanks for that. **

**clynch3: Everyone knows what happens to Bucky and Peter but Emma doesn't know that. You're totally right though. I think she'll have regrets. As for Spider-Man 3, I just meant that Peter kind of grew up after the events of Far From Home and Endgame. He lost Tony and after Mysterio betrayed him. I just think he's not naive or trusting anymore because of those things. I just think he'll be a little more mature in Spider-Man 3. **

**Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I really appreciate it. Especially after such a long time away. **

* * *

"Why are we in this meeting again?" Tony Stark questioned as all the Avengers were called in for a meeting. Only this time without Emma and Peter. This was the reason that made Tony a little edgy. He was afraid something dangerous came up or something involving Steve which is why Emma wasn't there.

"This meeting is actually concerning Rogers," Dr. Wallis said softly as she stood at the head of the table. Rhodey sat next to Tony while Vision and Maria sat opposite to them.

"Steve?" Rhodey said in surprise before masking his look of concern. "Has he been located? Why didn't Ross say something?"

"I meant Miss Rogers," Dr. Wallis corrected and the room fell silent. Tony furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Emma?" Tony questioned in disbelief. "If this meeting is about Emma then why wasn't I permitted to invite her to it?"

"As you know I've conducted a psychological exam of everyone in this compound. Specifically the team members which extends to Miss Rogers and Mr. Parker. Even Mr. Barnes," Dr. Wallis said carefully, ignoring Tony's question. "While most of everyone suffers from some form of PTSD, I've deemed them psychologically fit for duty. With some therapy for each of you, I don't think there's anything that can't be mended."

"So what's the problem?" Tony questioned and Dr. Wallis sighed.

"I have some concerns about this," Dr. Wallis admitted. "Mr. Barnes shows very severe signs of PTSD. I know the trigger associated with the Winter Soldier has been removed courtesy of our friends in Wakanda but that doesn't erase everything. It doesn't erase the trauma from his years with Hydra and all the memories. However, since it's been made clear by Secretary Ross that Mr. Barnes will not be a part of the team under any circumstances, he's not much of a concern."

"I'm not following, Dr. Wallis. Just spit it out," Tony said in annoyance and she swallowed hard before moving on.

"My main concern is Miss Rogers," Dr. Wallis confessed, causing everyone in the room to look at her in surprise. "I mentioned how everyone in this room has some form of PTSD which is only logical given the line of work. Some have mild forms of it like Mr. Parker while others have more severe forms like you, Mr. Stark."

"Emma, I'm afraid has a very severe case of PTSD although I don't like to diagnose children," The doctor explained as she then brought up Emma's file on the holographic screen. "This is a MRI scan of Mr. Stark's brain compared to a scan of Miss Rogers."

The team looked at the two images in the screen in shock. Tony's MRI scan showed something almost normal looking save for a few areas of the brain which were lit up more than usual. However, Emma's scan made Tony's look drab and boring. The displays of colors were almost like fireworks.

"So you see that there's more brain activity in these regions of the brain which are associated with fear and anxiety. The amygdala which is unusually hyperactive," Dr. Wallis pointed out as she pointed to Emma's scan. "This is quite normal to brain scans we've seen of child soldiers, children who grow up in war torn countries, and severely abused children."

"Emma's been through a lot. I think we all have," Maria said quietly, looking away from the brain scan. Dr. Wallis shook her head.

"I don't think you have with all due respect, Agent Hill," Dr. Wallis told her before looking at all the Avengers. "Miss Rogers went through unimaginable pain and torture during her childhood. You forget how that the brain's still developing in those vital years. It's different from someone like Mr. Barnes who's brain was already developed during his years at Hydra. A child's brain is a fragile thing."

"I don't get what you're getting at," Tony told her and Dr. Wallis looked sympathetic.

"No one blames Miss Rogers for anything she did. We all know the suffering she endured at the hands of Hydra," Dr. Wallis said slowly. "But Emma was severely beaten, tortured, sexually abused, and shown that the only way to solve problems is through violence. It's quite common for children that endure that level of abuse to obtain sociopathic tendencies."

"You're calling her a sociopath?!" Tony snapped, looking furious at what the woman was accusing Emma of. "I think you should learn your place, Doctor. The only reason you're here is because Ross demanded it but you're still here on my dime and not his."

"I'm not calling her a sociopath. I've observed, however, some traits that lean into that category," Dr. Wallis tiptoed around the word but everyone knew what she was saying. "She's a compulsive liar, charming, highly intelligent, and exhibits extreme selfishness in circumstances that don't involve the people she cares about."

"How can she be sociopathic if she cares about people?" Rhodey questioned and Dr. Wallis nodded.

"Which is why I don't want to label her a sociopath. I believe she genuinely cares about a select group of people," Dr. Wallis told them. "However, she is not someone psychologically fit for the Avengers. I'm actually appalled that she's been allowed to continue her crusade as the Viper Assassin. I fear it's actually been worse to her mental health."

"We all have problems!" Tony argued, not liking what the doctor was saying. Emma might've been eccentric and rude but she wasn't crazy. "None of us here are the poster boy for mental health."

"I'm just saying that it's not wise for Emma to be out in the city with people's lives in her hands. I don't believe she has enough empathy to save lives," Dr. Wallis informed them. "In fact, she lacks empathy. Unless it's towards Mr. Barnes, Mr. Parker, Mr. Rogers, or Mr. Stark. The only reason I can come up with as to why she even goes out there as Viper is because of Mr. Parker. I honestly think she has no interest in the Avengers."

"That's not true," Tony said, angrily. He always had a soft spot for the blonde. Tony knew deep down that it was because she was Steven's daughter and Tony always felt responsible for her. Sometimes he even fooled himself into thinking that she was like Steven but everyone knew she wasn't like her father or grandfather. Some said she was more like Peggy Carter but Tony honestly didn't know. Maybe Emma was her own person. "She helped us take down Hydra. We wouldn't have been able to take them down if she hadn't helped."

"Emma's expressed in past sessions that she had an obsession with getting revenge against Brock Rumlow," Dr. Wallis told him with a look of understanding on her face. As if she felt sympathy for Tony as he struggled to grasp on to straws in order to prove Emma's sanity. "She has felt remorse for that since Mr. Parker almost got killed during that mission but I don't believe she did it for the noble reason you're insinuating. In fact, she rarely takes the initiative the other Avengers do unless there's something in it for her."

"You are suggesting that Emma's continuing her tryst as Viper might be dangerous?" Vision asked quietly and Dr. Wallis sighed before nodding.

"I believe so," Dr. Wallis admitted before looking at everyone in the room with a serious look on her face. "She's expressed contempt for the Avengers and what they stand for. She's even expressed admiration for violent vigilante types like Frank Castle."

"The Punisher?" Rhodey questioned in disbelief and Dr. Wallis nodded once again.

"Emma stated that she felt as though the Punisher did more for the city than the Avengers did. When I informed her of the fact that he was a mass murderer, she seemed amused," Dr. Wallis informed them and Tony scoffed despite the nagging feeling of worry coming over him.

"Whatever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?" Tony asked sarcastically and she gave him a look.

"That doesn't apply to people who were trained to disable governments and instill chaos," Dr. Wallis pointed out, referring to Emma's Hydra past. "Miss Rogers might not be as strong as Mr. Parker, or powerful like Vision, or as smart as you, Mr. Stark. However, she's a gifted manipulator and liar which makes her more dangerous than the rest of you. Given her psychological state, she's a risk to the Avengers."

"What did she say about the Avengers?" Maria asked curiously. Everyone turned to look at the normally silent agent in question. "You said she holds contempt for the Avengers? What did she say to make you think that."

"She finds the Avengers to be obsolete," Dr. Wallis informed them much to everyone's surprise. Tony swallowed hard. "Miss Rogers called them the government's puppets. She expressed contempt for the way the Avengers are being run. She also seems to think yourself and Mr. Rogers are to blame for it."

"What?" Tony said in shock and she nodded.

"She specifically said that the Avengers supposed failure is due to a bunch of penises in power," Dr. Wallis told him and if it was any other situation, they would've laughed. It definitely sounded like something she would've said just not in that context. "I'm afraid if Miss Rogers is allowed to continue as Viper and allowed to become an Avenger, she'll sabotage it from the inside. Her ideals are erratic and unhinged. Making her an Avenger would destroy everything you've built, Mr. Stark. She means to destroy the Avengers."

"You make her sound like some sort of supervillain," Tony said with a humorless smile on his face. He always joked about Emma becoming a supervillain like Loki but he never actually thought she would.

"I'm not saying that she's a bad person," Dr. Wallis said seriously. "I'm just suggesting that it would be political suicide to put someone like her on the team. I believe Miss Rogers has an ideology that's separate from the Accords much like her grandfather…only her ideology is far more dangerous. You can't have her in the Avengers. Maybe not ever. She's too much of a liability."

"I think you're being overdramatic, Doctor," Rhodey tried to tell her but the younger woman didn't seem to think so.

"I don't think I am," Dr. Wallis denied, not believing how much that girl had these men wrapped around her finger. This was dangerous too because this teenage girl had some of the most powerful men in the world wrapped around her finger. Dr. Wallis sometimes wondered if Emma knew that she had that sort of power or if she was oblivious to it. It was amazing to Dr. Wallis that Emma didn't even have to be the strongest or most powerful person in the room. Nor the one with the highest IQ. She just had to be the center of the Avengers' world and so much that there wasn't anything these men wouldn't do for her.

That right there made her more dangerous than even the likes of Loki.

"I'm telling you that this girl is someone who was trained to destabilize governments and there could be no telling if she decides to one day destabilize the Avengers," Dr. Wallis stated, trying to get the message through their heads. "I don't think you can trust her on missions if there's no supervision. I think that mission you sent her on about Stephen Strange was a bad idea."

"It was a waste of time. The guy's clean. A bit out there but definitely clean," Tony mentioned and Dr. Wallis shook her head.

"I don't know how to break this to you guys but this decision isn't just coming from me," Dr. Wallis told them seriously. "Ross has looked over my psychological exam of Miss Rogers and he agrees that she's unfit to be associated with the Avengers."

"What are you suggesting?" Maria questioned and Dr. Wallis looked grim.

"He wants her to hang up the suit," Dr. Wallis finally said. Tony looked up at her in shock. "He thinks it's too much of a risk to have her associated with the Avengers. Mr. Parker is still fit for duty but Miss Rogers will be forced to retire. When she's eighteen I can evaluate her again but for the time-being, she needs to step away."

"You can't do that," Rhodey blurted, not understanding where this was coming from. Sure, Emma seemed to have some wild opinions about the Avengers but it was probably just teenager stuff. She couldn't really mean it. "We're already low on staff as it is. We can't afford to lose anyone else."

"You can't afford the risk Miss Rogers puts on the team," Dr. Wallis argued. "The Sokovia Accords is still in it's infancy. This isn't a risk we're ready to take."

"I don't think-" Tony started to say but she was quick to interrupt him.

"Secretary Ross isn't asking, Mr. Stark. Either you comply with our request and break the news to Miss Rogers or you're in violation of the Accords," Dr. Wallis told him in a clear and even tone. Tony scoffed. "Either way, Miss Rogers will be hanging up the suit for the time-being."

"Perhaps we should adhere to the secretary's wishes," Vision said, trying to keep the peace between the doctor and the rest of the team. "Emma, has school to focus on and I'm sure we can pick things up again when she turns eighteen which is in less than a year. This can be a brief break for her."

"Fine but just so you know…" Tony said, locking eyes with the doctor. "I don't like this. I don't like that you're forcing our hand like this, I don't like what you're accusing Emma of, and I don't like that you seem like you're working for Ross and not me. So maybe he'll give you a job because you're not on my payroll anymore."

"They'll just send another one," She deadpanned, not seeming all too sad about Tony firing her. He sneered at her.

"Then I'll fire every single one until Ross gets too tired to keep sending more my way."

"So be it but the Viper Assassin is either stepping back or gaining her very own cell in Raft," Dr. Wallis told them. "She's seventeen now and not the thirteen-year-old girl you rescued all those years ago. Emma's considered an adult now in this state so Ross is within his right to throw her into Raft if she refuses to step down. Not even you will be able to help her this time, Mr. Stark."

"She'll step down," Tony said coldly as he glared at the woman in front of him. "Now leave before I get security to haul you out of here."

"Goodbye, Mr. Stark," Dr. Wallis told him before gathering her things and heading for the door. She left in a calm manner. Almost as if she expected him to fire her.

"Shit," Rhodey said once the woman had left the room. "How are we going to tell Emma?"

"We should break the news to her softly," Vision suggested, looking troubled which was rare for him. "Maybe over a nice dinner."

"Either way it's going to be a shit storm," Maria remarked, not looking forward to the outcome of Emma finding out about this news. There was no telling how she was going to react.

"We'll just tell her. No BS," Tony said, being more quiet than usual. "We owe her that much."

Tony just didn't know how she was going to react to this new information but it definitely wasn't the reaction she would actually have when they dropped the ball on her.

* * *

"Ross wants you to step down from being Viper," Tony said bluntly once they called for another Avengers meeting. This time it was a meeting that called for both Emma and Peter's presence. Peter because Tony thought that Emma needed the emotional support.

"What?" Peter questioned in shock while Emma just stared at the billionaire.

"Dr. Wallis did some bullshit psych evaluation and wasn't satisfied with the results," Tony informed Emma, looking her dead straight in the eyes. "Look, I don't agree with it but my hands are tied. If we don't comply with this then we're all in violation of the accords. This is serious, Emma. Ross thinks just because you're seventeen now that he can throw you in Raft-"

"What did Dr. Wallis say about me?" Emma asked quietly. Everyone stared at her quizzically before Tony answered her.

"She said that you suffer from severe PTSD and therefore was a current risk to the team," Tony answered although it wasn't the whole truth. He didn't want to embarrass her or make her angry by telling her everything Dr. Wallis said. "This will only be until you're eighteen. We'll get this figured out then and everything will-"

"Okay," Emma said simply and everyone stared at her in bewilderment. They expected her anger and fury but they definitely didn't expect calmness.

"Okay?" Tony questioned in disbelief. He couldn't believe Emma was so calm about the situation.

"I'll step down," Emma said nonchalantly, looking unbothered by Ross's request. Deep down she was angry that Ross was meddling with her life but on the other hand she was relieved. Emma didn't have to be Viper anymore and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"Emma, you can't be serious," Peter told her before looking back at the others. "You can't make Emma step down as Viper. She's done so much for this city and she's my partner. Ross can't do this."

"He actually can do this," Rhodey informed the teenage boy. "If a member of the team is deemed psychologically unfit then Ross is well within his right to request them to step down. The rest of us were given the okay except for Barnes and Emma. Barnes isn't an issue because he's not to be associated with the Avengers, anyways."

"Emma's not crazy," Peter argued, crossing his arms as he dared anyone at the table to argue with him. Emma looked down at her hands which were placed in her lap. She loved Peter but she also knew he was wrong. Emma wasn't delusional enough to think there was nothing wrong with her. Peter just put her on too high of a pedestal. "And this is ridiculous. She can't just stop being Viper. You know what? This is sexist."

"Sexist?" Maria questioned and Peter nodded furiously. Emma raised an eyebrow as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, she's currently the only woman around so Ross just wants to push her out because he feels threatened by her," Peter said, grasping at straws. "Look, if you're going to make Emma stop being Viper then I'll stop being Spider-Man. I won't do it without her."

"Peter-" Tony started to say and Emma just stared at her boyfriend in shock.

He would stop being Spider-Man?

Just like that?

Emma never realized that Peter stepping down as Spider-Man would only take Emma being forced to stop being Viper. It occurred to her that she could have everything she wanted. Ross had actually given her a silver lining despite calling her crazy. He was giving her a chance to take what she wanted which was a life free of Spider-Man and Viper. Maybe Peter would even discover that he liked not being Spider-Man anymore and he wouldn't want to go back to that lifestyle.

They could go to college, get married, and even have kids. Someday they would look back at those crime fighting years of their life in amusement before being glad they gave it all up. They could be so happy together.

It was only then that Emma realized that she was being selfish.

How could she just let Peter give up something he loved?

Peter wouldn't ask her to do the same thing but not because he didn't care enough like she originally thought. It was because he loved her and wanted her to be happy. He wouldn't stop her from doing anything she wanted to do.

Maybe that was Emma's problem.

She was just being too selfish. Peter loved Spider-Man so how could Emma ask him to end that? Emma realized that she didn't want that, after all. She didn't want Peter to resent her someday for making him give up Spider-Man.

So what was her other option?

"Peter, it's fine," Emma told him softly before looking back at the others. "I understand and I'll step down from being Viper. I think it might be better, anyways. Especially with finals coming up soon."

"You're just giving up?" Peter asked in disbelief and Emma shrugged.

"It's not forever," Emma said as she glanced towards Tony. "You said I could have another evaluation when I'm eighteen, right?"

"Yes, but we'll be getting a different psychologist for your next evaluation," Tony said in response and Emma nodded. He gave her an odd look because he felt like there was something going on with her but he didn't know what. Tony wasn't sure if Peter even knew given his reaction to her not arguing over Ross suspending her from the Avengers. The only person that probably knew anything was Barnes.

Barnes knew everything about Emma.

Something he tried not to let bother him.

"Then I'll step down," Emma said quietly even though Peter was still furious. "It's okay. You should still be Spider-Man. It'll just be like those times Tony grounded me from Viper."

"Except that it'll be way longer," Peter retorted before shaking his head. "How can you be so calm about this? Ross is doing this on purpose. That doctor probably made up that stuff about how you're unfit for the team."

Emma didn't even have a chance to get a word in as Peter turned towards Tony, having more of a drive to argue with the others than Emma obviously did. She just fell silent, drifting off in her thoughts as she tuned them all out. Peter was going on and on about how Ross was just looking for an excuse to suspend her from her Viper duties but Emma didn't really care anymore.

Not when she realized that she might have to let Peter go.

It terrified her to even begin to think about that option because Emma couldn't imagine life without Peter. Not holding his hand at school, making out with him whenever she felt like it, him holding her in his arms after sex, or the way Peter would give her a goofy smile whenever she walked into the room. Emma didn't want to let go of any of that but on the other hand could she really stop Peter from doing something he loved?

Emma still had no idea how to have that conversation with Peter.

Not to mention she was running out of time.

* * *

"I still can't believe they suspended you," Peter told her as they were lying down on his bottom bunk in his and May's apartment. They were supposed to be doing homework but instead Emma somehow ended up in his arms. Emma would deny it to anyone who asked if they accused her of being a cuddler but in that moment Emma didn't care who walked in on them. She just loved being in his arms.

"You and I both know that I'm not all there, Peter," Emma said quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm actually surprised they even wanted me with the team in the first place."

"Hey, don't say that," Peter said, looking at her in concern. "They were lucky to have you. I just can't believe Tony didn't stick up for you more."

"What more could he have done without violating the Accords?" Emma reminded him. Peter shook his head.

"It's not like you're actually a threat to the Avengers. Ross is crazy. You'd never do anything to jeopardize the team," Peter said, still stumped as to why Emma was suspended. Emma felt guilty because she knew that wasn't sure. She already jeopardized the team by letting Stephen Strange off the hook and lying to everyone about it.

"Maybe I wouldn't do it on purpose but according to Dr. Wallis I'm practically a sociopath. I wouldn't be able to help it," Emma said nonchalantly and Peter clenched his jaw. He resented that doctor for accusing Emma of being some sort of supervillain in the making. There wasn't anything wrong with her. Dr. Wallis just looked down at Emma in fear because she was a bit different than other people. It wasn't fair. "It would be in my nature."

"You're not a sociopath," Peter said seriously. "There's nothing wrong with you. Just because your views are different than theirs doesn't make you a sociopath."

"Sometimes I think you're blinded by your love for me. You see too much good," Emma remarked, her eyes sad as she felt guilty once more for keeping things from Peter. He pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I love you because you're a good person," Peter said sincerely and Emma could've even almost believed that if it wasn't for the fact that she knew what was inside her own mind. It only occurred to her then that Peter was only aware of the summary of her past. Other than Rumlow, Emma rarely spoke to him about her time in Hydra.

Details about the torture she suffered as well as details surrounding the murders she committed. Peter never really searched for details but Emma was starting to think that he didn't want to know. Maybe he didn't want think about the fact that she killed people in cold blood.

If Emma was being honest she didn't have to be forced into it every time.

When she was a kid, she only thought about impressing her father and making him proud. Killing people was the thing that initially bonded Emma and her father. Things were different now but back then killing was the only thing they had in common.

Emma wanted to explain this to Peter but she knew she never would. A huge part of Emma liked the way Peter looked at her as though she could do no wrong. She was scared of making that go away.

"Can we talk about something else?" Emma asked him, tired of discussing the Avengers. "I don't want to talk about Viper anymore."

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" Peter asked her and Emma knew this was an opportunity to have a real conversation with him about their relationship. Emma should've finally told him how she felt but she liked being in his arms too much.

What if she started that conversation and she could never be in his arms like this again?

Emma wasn't ready to face that possibility.

No, she just needed more time.

"You smell good today," Emma commented and Peter looked at her incredulously. "Are you wearing deodorant?"

"What are you talking about? I always wear deodorant," Peter argued and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I think you forgot I have heightened senses and you definitely do not wear deodorant all the time," Emma pointed out and Peter blushed. "You're lucky that I love you so much. I love you so much that I don't care if you stink."

"I'm sorry. I just always forget to bring deodorant for PE," Peter explained as Emma pressed a kiss against his neck. The teenage boy swallowed hard as he looked at his girlfriend. "I thought you wanted to talk?"

"I did but now I want to do less talking," Emma told him as she continued to lead a of kisses up his neck. Peter's heart skipped a beat. "Unless you want to talk?"

"You know that I'll never say no to sex," Peter informed her, causing her laugh against his neck. Emma knew it was wrong to have sex with him when she was so torn up over their whole relationship but Emma was afraid it might be the last time. Besides…he looked so good in the maroon colored sweater he was wearing. Emma couldn't resist him when he looked that nerdy. "Especially when you're wearing my favorite skirt."

"Every skirt is your favorite skirt, Parker," Emma retorted as Peter's hand brushed against her thigh. She gasped as his hand slid further underneath her skirt. "You know, everyone at school thinks you're so innocent and all the teachers think you're a role model student. Tony thinks you're a good influence on me. What would they say about this, Peter?"

"I don't care what they'd say. I just want to taste you," Peter told her, his brown eyes dark with lust. His lips crashed against hers as he moved on top of her. Emma immediately began to tug his shirt off, just wanting to be under him. She felt inpatient. Emma wanted him as many times as possible.

"You can taste me later," Emma told him in between kisses and Peter tried to refuse her.

"But I want to-" He started to say but Emma interrupted him as she palmed him over his pants. He moaned as he felt her hand around him.

"Fuck me, Parker," Emma demanded and Peter couldn't deny her when she made demands like that. He started taking her clothes off in a hasty fashion, not needing to be told twice. Her shirt and bra came off first followed by her skirt and her underwear came last. Emma wondered if Peter was testing himself to see how fast he could take her clothes off. He was definitely getting better and better at it.

"You're so beautiful," Peter told her, his breathing heavy as he kicked his pants off and Emma took him out of his boxers. He pressed his lips to hers again in a heated passion as she touched him. "Emma, you're going to have to stop that if you actually want to have sex with me. I won't last."

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Parker," Emma flirted as she bit down on his bottom lip, causing him to moan. "You're good at so many things. This is definitely one of those things."

"Okay, okay, just let me find a condom. You're so needy," Peter joked as he broke their kiss and leaned over to open the drawer of his nightstand. Emma didn't stop in giving him attention. She nibbled on his earlobe which caused Peter to laugh…until he realized the box of condoms in the drawer was entirely empty.

"Um…Emma?" Peter said hesitantly, fearing her reaction. Emma was a bit distracted by her boyfriend's mouthwatering abs to pay the words coming out of his mouth much attention.

"Yes?" She said, barely paying attention. Peter gulped.

"I think I'm out of condoms," Peter told her which caused Emma to pause. The blonde looked over at him.

"What?"

"Yeah, I think we used the last one that time you came over during mine and Ned's Star Wars marathon and you kicked him out because you were really horny," Peter reminded her and Emma glared at him.

"I wasn't really horny. I just wanted you," Emma told him and Peter smiled knowingly at her.

"You took one step into the apartment and told him to get out before you practically pounced on me," Peter pointed out much to Emma's annoyance. "If that's not horny, I don't know what is. Hey, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that we're out of condoms because I forgot to buy more after that."

"There's seriously none left?" Emma questioned desperately. She was all worked up at this point and she wanted nothing more than Peter. Emma was feeling dramatic enough to think she might actually die if she didn't have him right then and there.

"What do you expect? We practically have sex every time you come over to study," Peter informed her and she supposed he had a point. "I don't know how we're passing any of our classes. We have sex way more than we study."

"Maybe us having sex makes us remember textbook material more. Maybe everyone should try it," Emma suggested and Peter rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to mention that to Mr. Harrington," Peter said sarcastically. "Hey, Mr. Harrington, guess what cool new studying technique Emma and I discovered? We really remember the Battle of Lexington and Concord better during the cowgirl position when we have sex. What a useful study tool."

"I think the Battle of Lexington and Concord is the last thing on my mind when you're-" Emma started to say and Peter gave her a grossed out look. He knew exactly what she was about to say and he didn't want to hear it. Just when he thought he was the crude one, Emma would come up and prove him completely wrong.

"Okay, I'm done with that discussion," Peter said quickly before looking apologetic. "I'm seriously out of condoms though. Maybe we can just go down on each other instead and call a raincheck on anything else."

"Don't wear one," Emma blurted out unable to stop herself. She surprised both Peter and herself.

"What?" He questioned in surprise and Emma blushed before nodding furiously.

"I really want you," Emma said, knowing that this could very well be the last time she would be with Peter like this because somehow she knew the Viper and Spider-Man conversation wouldn't go over well with him. She was about eighty percent sure it was going to end in tears. "Peter, I don't want to wait until next time."

"Emma, is that safe? What if you get pregnant?" Peter said hesitantly although he couldn't deny the appeal of feeling Emma around him without the barrier of a condom. "Do we want to risk it?"

"I'll just have Darcy take me to a pharmacy tomorrow for the morning-after pill," Emma insisted, praying that Peter would cave in. "She won't mind."

"Oh…okay," Peter said quietly, thinking that maybe this wouldn't be a huge deal. Especially if Emma took the morning-after pill. He wouldn't admit but he always fantasized about this so it honestly didn't take much to convince him. "If that's okay with you."

"It's completely okay with me, Peter," Emma said softly, her face so close to his that she could just barely touch his lips with hers yet they didn't. There was something more intimate about this moment than any moment they ever shared before and it wasn't just because of what they were about to do. At least to Emma, this was the edge of a cliff where she was lingering because she was too afraid in case she fell over and plummeted to her death. It made being there with Peter in that moment more intense than ever.

"I love you," Peter blurted out as he gazed into her ocean blue eyes, falling into their depths and admiring the flecks of green that some might've seen as a flaw but Peter only saw as perfection. "Sometimes I can't believe you're mine. I'm so lucky."

"I'm the lucky one," Emma said sincerely and there was never a sentence that was more true than that. She truly didn't deserve Peter and she doubted she ever would. Emma just wanted to savor every moment she had with him until he realized what a mistake he made in loving her.

"Sure you are," Peter said, not convinced by her remark. It wasn't because he didn't think she really meant. It was because he couldn't see the logic in it.

Emma didn't have time to argue with him as his mouth descended down upon hers and she soon forgot everything she ever knew. An occasional hazard whenever Peter kissed her so passionately that he made her stupid in the head. She could say that she hated the feeling but she didn't think she did.

Emma loved every moment in Peter's arms.

There was nowhere else she'd rather be.

* * *

Emma noted the visible crack in ceiling of Michelle's bedroom.

She probably shouldn't have started looking for flaws in the room of a friend because now she couldn't look away. Not even if she tried hard. It was something that drew the attention of her very observant friend.

"What's up with you?" MJ questioned, glancing at Emma from over her book. The two teenage girls were having a sleepover on a school night. Peter was busy with going solo as Spider-Man now that Emma was suspended from Viper duties so she was taking it upon herself to spend more time with people outside of Peter which mostly just consisted of her hanging out with Michelle or listening to Darcy go on and on about how wonderful Emma's father is.

Like, Emma needed to be informed that her father was the most amazing person ever.

She knew that before anyone else did.

"What makes you think something's up with me?" Emma shot back quickly as she broke her gaze with the ceiling. MJ raised a brow.

"The fact that you're being really defensive for no apparent reason," MJ deadpanned and Emma sighed heavily. Leave it to MJ to be too observant for her own good. "Don't tell me it's because you're banned from Viper stuff. You seemed weirdly calm when you told me that. Something tells me that you didn't mind being suspended."

"I wish you were less observant," Emma grumbled but MJ's suspicious look didn't fade so Emma finally relented.

"Ugh! Fine…" Emma said, giving in. She figured she could talk to MJ. MJ was her friend, after all. Probably the only friend who was both female and her own age. MJ wasn't the type to blab either. "Peter and I aren't doing so well."

"What?" MJ asked in confusion and Emma shrugged.

"As a couple…we're not doing well," Emma confessed to her friend and the teenage girl looked stunned. That certainly hadn't been what she was expecting to hear.

"Not doing well as in you're fighting or…?" MJ trailed off and Emma shook her head.

"No, Peter thinks that everything's going well which, I think, is part of the problem," Emma said, a distant look in her eyes. "Everything's perfect in his mind. He's too busy living in his fantasy world while I'm stuck here in reality."

"What's not going well then if you're not fighting?" MJ asked curiously and Emma looked down at her feet before glancing back up at her friend.

"I don't think I can do this anymore, MJ," Emma admitted and it was the first time she said the actual words aloud. She felt sick which was a change. Nothing ever made Emma feel sick to the stomach. Nothing…yet somehow the very idea of her relationship with Peter coming to an end made her sick.

"Do what?" MJ questioned and Emma shook her head.

"Pretend like everything's going to be okay. Pretend like Peter and I can live happily ever after despite being who we are," Emma said, looking entirely exhausted. MJ finally closed her book as she stared at her troubled friend. "I don't see how we can keep going on like this. Acting like everything will be okay as long as we love each other. I'm starting to learn that maybe loving each other isn't enough.

"Are you saying you want to break up with Peter?" MJ asked her and Emma's felt emotion thick in her throat. Hearing those words aloud hit her hard. Emma didn't want to even think of breaking up with Peter but everything was changing. They were both growing up and with that, Emma was beginning to realize that maybe they were different people.

Too different.

"I don't know," Emma said, refusing to let herself cry. "I just know that I don't want to be Viper anymore and I don't want Peter to be Spider-Man anymore either. I know that I can't marry him and have kids with him someday if he's going to be Spider-Man. On the other hand, I also know that he'll never stop being Spider-Man so where does that leave us?"

"Have you talked to him about this?" MJ asked her and Emma shook her head.

"No. I just know if I start this conversation, I might also be ending something," Emma said honestly. "I'm just scared of losing him."

"You need to talk to him, Emma," MJ warned her, telling her what any friend would tell her in the same position. "Peter's crazy about you. I'm sure you two could work out whatever you're worrying about. He's not going to break up with you after one conversation. Not after everything you've both been through."

"Maybe you're right," Emma said quietly but deep down it wasn't Peter she was truly worried about.

It was herself.

Emma was scared he would say all the wrong things. That Peter would try to talk her into the idea of someday settling down while still maintaining their superhero alter-egos. Emma was scared because she knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind at that point which would leave her with limited options.

"Just talk to him," MJ told her which was the same thing Emma's father told her. Maybe they had a point. Maybe she just needed to be brave and talk to him. At least then it would lessen the stress she felt everyday over whether or not she would finally sit down and have that talk with Peter.

"Talk to him and work it out because you two are perfect for each other," MJ told her friend seriously. "If you two can't make it then I don't know who can."

"I will," Emma said quietly as she realized that she was at the end of the rope. There was nothing left to do but talk to Peter. She just had to do it. Even if it was the scariest thing she had ever done before.

"You and Peter will be fine," MJ reassured her although Emma didn't think she could feel reassurance about anything right now let alone Peter. "You're always fine."

It was true.

They always were fine but somehow it felt different this time. Emma didn't know how to explain it but this felt different than the previous rough patches in their relationship.

Not a good different either.

* * *

"Did you see that story headlining every news outlet in existence?" Flash said in excitement during a decathlon meeting. It had been a day since her chat with Michelle and Emma knew that she needed to have the conversation with Peter soon. She actually planned on having it after the weekend was over and they returned home from the compound. Emma would have the talk in Peter's apartment before May got home for work and…well, hopefully everything would be fine. They would talk, a fight was inevitable, and then they'd work it out somehow.

It might be difficult but they would get through it.

They'd been through too much to not get through it.

"What story?" Cindy questioned and Flash showed her his phone.

"This reporter guy apparently got word that the Winter Soldier is serving house arrest at the Avengers compound upstate," Flash said, grinning as if this was all exciting. Emma supposed it was if you weren't privy to Avenger stuff like she and Peter were.

"That's not news, Flash," Emma deadpanned, giving him a bored look. "The Winter Soldier has been on house arrest for a while now. Everyone knows that."

"Yeah but this guy wrote a whole article about how corrupt the justice system is for letting a deranged psychopath go on house arrest even though he's probably murdered hundreds of people," Flash pointed out and Peter watched Emma carefully as she clenched her jaw in anger, struggling to keep her anger under control. Peter knew there wasn't a lot that could allow Emma to lose her cool unless it came to her father. Everyone at the compound knew better than to insult Bucky Barnes in front of her. Emma was incredibly protective over her father. "The guy's right too. Don't get me wrong. It's kind of cool but at the same time terrifying."

"The Winter Soldier was brainwashed," Emma was quick to point out. MJ and Ned watched with wide eyes as Emma tread into dangerous waters. "His real name is Bucky Barnes, remember? Best friend to Captain America and a war hero. We learned about him in history class or where you too busy watching porn on your phone to pay attention?"

"Shut up, Lewis," Flash said, glaring at the blonde before moving the conversation back to the Winter Soldier. "I'm just saying that the Winter Soldier killed a bunch of people and got away with it. This reporter thinks that the Winter Soldier entered some kind of plea agreement with the Avengers. That's how they shut down that secret Hydra base last year."

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Emma snapped and Peter nudged her, trying to get her to calm down and not let Flash bother her.

"And what do you know about the Winter Soldier?" Flash shot back, eager to argue with her just as he was eager to argue with anyone.

"I know he was brainwashed and shouldn't be held accountable for his actions," Emma said in a serious tone and Flash narrowed his eyes at her.

"And who should be held accountable?" Flash questioned and Emma paused for a moment before finally answering his question.

"The Viper Assassin," Emma said in a cool tone. "As far as we know, she was never brainwashed to do what she did. She doesn't have an excuse."

"Well, that's different," Flash said a bit nervously this time around. "She's with Spider-Man so obviously she's a good person if she's with Spider-Man. Spider-Man wouldn't hang out with her if she was evil."

"Unless he's been getting laid," Charles added with a smirk on his lips. Peter's eyes widened, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment at Charles' words. Ned and MJ tried not to laugh while Emma just stared blankly at Charles. It truly was an odd scenario to have their classmates discuss them like that, not knowing that Spider-Man and Viper stood right there in front of them.

"Excuse me?" Flash said in surprise as he blushed himself. Charles shrugged.

"I'm just saying that it doesn't matter if she's evil or not. If she's been riding and sucking his dick then it doesn't matter if she's evil," Charles pointed out and Peter wanted to go and crawl under a rock from the way Ned was laughing at him. "Spider-Man's still a guy and I'm a guy too so I know that woman could murder my cat in front of me and I'd still be down to fuck."

"Stop talking like you're not a sad little virgin, Murphy," Emma snapped, glaring at the arrogant teenager with glasses. "The only person you've had sex with is yourself so stop acting high and mighty. You know shit about sex."

"We're only seventeen," Charles argued, his face growing red as he glared at the blonde. "It's perfectly reasonable that I haven't lost it yet. Just because you and Parker screw each other's brains out after school doesn't mean that everyone in school is doing it."

Peter didn't understand how everyone knew about that. Ned said it was obvious from the way the two of them would rush out of the building as soon as school ended. To be fair…most of those times were when they rushing off to be Spider-Man and Viper. It actually had nothing to do with sex but this was high school so gossip was inevitable.

"I still don't understand how Penis Parker lost his v-card before the rest of us," Flash grumbled and Peter glared at him.

"Mine and Emma's personal life is none of your concern," Peter informed him as he placed his hand in Emma's. "This is 2018, guys. Whether or not I lost my virginity, it shouldn't be celebrated like some kind of victory while you smirk behind my girlfriend's back. It's disgusting and creepy."

"Peter has a point," MJ said in a lofty tone. "For years, society congratulates men on having sex while recoiling in horror from women doing the same because it humanizes us instead of us just being objects to the male gaze."

"Ew! Are you going to start another boring conversation about how I'm owning my own sexuality," Emma complained, looking grossed out by MJ's words. "I think I'm finally going to barf."

"Whatever. Let's get out of here," Peter said, starting to lead Emma away from their classmates. "I think my brain cells are starting to die just from being around Flash and Charles."

"I know the feeling," Emma retorted as the couple left the gym. Flash and Charles watched them leave, more than likely thinking that Emma and Peter were probably running off to have sex yet again.

"I think I know how Penis Parker's getting laid," Flash said thoughtfully as the couple walked out the doors and disappeared. "He's sensitive and in touch with his feelings. Girls like that sort of thing. Maybe he's on to something."

"Either that or his dick is huge," Charles said, nodding in agreement. Ned nearly choked on his water at that while MJ just rolled her eyes, sticking her nose back in her book. She was already done with this conversation.

"You two are idiots."

* * *

Emma knew she shouldn't have read the article Flash mentioned.

Stupid Flash and his big mouth.

However, she couldn't help but find the trending article that Flash told her about even though she knew the article would do nothing but infuriate her. Emma, for some reason, needed to know what it said about her father. Either that or she would drive herself crazy.

This was how she found herself in her fifth period physics class, staring at her phone screen instead of working on the class assignment. Their teacher was distracted as usual while her lab partner was busy Instagram stalking Kendall Jenner. Knowing that she was safe from detection, the blonde's eyes immediately scanned the article she found.

_The Winter Soldier: The Man the Avengers Saved from Justice _

_By: Perry Layton_

_The Winter Soldier used to be a ghost story a few years ago._

_ According to some former Shield agents, he was a ghost story in the intelligence community. Everyone heard of the horrors the Winter Soldier inflicted but no one could prove his existence. He left no trail._

_This all changed four years ago when a couple helicarriers fell from the sky and plummeted down towards Washington D.C. This was also the day we discovered that Hydra had been hiding in our midst. Hydra which used to be consider an old relic from World War II that Captain America once saved the world from. This was a shock to the world but no one could be more surprised when one of the terrorist organization's top assassins was none other than Bucky Barnes._

_If you don't know who Bucky Barnes is then I'll give you a brief 7th grade history lesson to freshen your memory._

_James Buchanan Barnes was born March 10th, 1917 to George and Winnifred Barnes in Brooklyn, New York. He was the eldest of the Barnes siblings and the only son. Growing up, Barnes crossed paths with a young Steven Grant Rogers and the two became like brothers instantly. Flash forward to after Captain Rogers gets the super soldier serum, Barnes quickly joins his friend's side as a Howling Commando and kicks Nazi ass with his BFF. _

_Sounds pretty awesome, right?_

_Well, here comes the tragedy of Bucky Barnes._

_During a mission with Rogers in 1945, Barnes falls from a train and seemingly plummets to his death right out of Rogers' grasp. Rogers and his fellow Howling Commandos mourn him, thinking they lost one of their own. Not just a friend to Rogers but a brother. His other half. _

_No one would've thought Hydra would've found him, deciding to take Captain America's best friend and turn him into a weapon of their own just to twist the knife. According to Shield files that Natasha Romanoff leaked in the movement she called "HydraGate", Barnes apparently underwent mysterious experimentations during his infantry's capture before Captain America rescued the 107th. This would explain his survival of the fall along with everything Hydra did to him afterwards._

_Barnes time as the Winter Soldier will go down in the history books. Never has there been an assassin who is not only responsible for many kills but also responsible for the many killings of powerful and important people. A roster that includes politicians, scientists, high ranking officers, journalists, and even a rumored president. Barnes is also the longest serving assassin with around seven decades of assassinations under his belt. _

_It's enough to say he's quite possibly one of the most dangerous assassins to ever have lived._

_This is from a list that includes his partner the Viper Assassin as well as Natasha Romanoff before she traded in the KGB for a Shield badge. _

_According to inside sources, Barnes allegedly turned himself in to the Avengers last year yet no one knows why or what he got in return for doing so but what surprised people most was his punishment. For a man who is suspected of having a hand in over one hundred deaths, Barnes was sentenced only to house arrest and a signed contract to refrain from using his enhanced abilities. _

_To think of all the lives this man ruined and the only justice that can be given is house arrest. _

_The most important questions remains…_

_Are we safe?_

_Supposedly the Sokovia Accords were created to help give accountability and transparency to the Avengers and especially those with enhanced abilities. That's what the UN introduced the accords as originally but how is letting a man like Barnes get away with murder protecting any of us? What's stopping the man from doing it again? Better yet, can we be certain he's not a psychopath?_

_Two years ago he was wrongfully accused of bombing the UN, killing king T'Chaka of Wakanda in the process. While this was incorrect and the person responsible was actually a man known as Baron Zemo. However, is it really a stretch?_

_This is a man who's known nothing but murder for the majority of his existence._

_What's stopping him from violating his terms of imprisonment and reverting back to his assassin lifestyle?_

_The man was allegedly brainwashed during his time Hydra so what are the effects of something like that on someone's mind?_

_The Winter Soldier's joke of a punishment for his crimes is evidence that the Sokovia Accords really changed nothing and the Avengers still aren't being held accountable for their actions. They can cause death and destruction as they go along while families suffer from pain and loss._

_The Avengers are free to do as they please._

_**Perry Layton is a Stanford graduate with a masters in journalism and major contributor to Superhero-Poli . Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.**_

Emma was fuming after reading the article.

She could've actually crushed her phone in her hand from the anger she felt. Especially considering that the man who supposedly wrote the article was some idiot who obviously didn't know anything. He spoke about her father like he knew him. Like, he was so sure her father was some crazed lunatic who would snap someday and kill a bunch of people.

She had to give the guy credit.

He definitely did his research on her father's background.

However, him making these assumptions about her father's mental state pissed her off. He didn't know anything about her father. If he did then he would know her father had shit luck. Her father suffered a fate worse than imaginable only to be welcomed back into the world with fearful looks and suspicion.

Her father never did anything wrong.

Hydra did everything and her father was innocent.

The man who wrote the article was full of shit.

Her father deserved his freedom and, in fact, Emma thought he didn't even deserve the sentence of house arrest he got. Hydra forced her father to be the Winter Soldier and now that they were gone, her father was being punished for their crimes.

Emma had half a mind not to find this Perry idiot and dangle him over the top of a building until he agreed to retract the article.

However, Emma knew she would only be confirming this man's fears of enhanced individuals. That they were all crazy people with powers who would inevitably only cause death and destruction.

Emma needed to be more subtle than that.

* * *

Perry Layton wasn't who she thought he was.

It only took her a few seconds to look him up online.

Emma supposed she imagined a middle-aged white man when in reality Perry was a very attractive thirty-year-old biracial man who was proud of both his African-American heritage as well as his Jewish heritage. This was made clear to Emma as she stalked his Instagram and read his posts about racial injustices as well as a throwback Thursday to his Bar Mitzvah. Emma thought that MJ might've liked him because of his vocal opinion on politics.

Emma thought it was fine and great but she still didn't favor the way he attacked her father for no good reason.

The blonde seventeen-year-old was currently at Mr. Delmar's deli a few blocks from her townhouse. She kindly requested to use his phone and Mr. Delmar obliged because she was the girlfriend of his favorite customer. Emma would've used her own phone but didn't want to have this conversation traced back to her.

"I'd like to speak to Perry Layton," Emma said, making her voice as kind as possible. "The journalist from Superhero-Poli."

"This is he," He answered. His voice sounded distracted and like she possibly pulled him away from something. Emma figured these days journalists were busy with everything that was going on in the world.

"Hi, I want to speak with you about your most recent article concerning the Winter Soldier," Emma said, struggling to control her anger at the very thought of the article. She knew she had to maintain her cool. It was just that she was very protective over her father.

"Sure. What about it?" His voice sounded surprise. Emma assumed that he probably didn't get much praise for his writing. He wasn't a well-known journalist like Christine Everhart or J. Jonah Jameson although calling those two journalists was being overly nice.

"I was a bit annoyed with the inaccurate information you showcased in the article," Emma said, forcing herself to remain calm instead of calling the man an idiot over the phone. "I think it's dangerous to write an article that inaccurate given who you chose to write your article about."

"And may I ask how my article is inaccurate?" Perry asked. He almost sounded amused which pissed Emma off more.

"It's inaccurate because you're completely biased. It's clear that you pander towards the Sokovia Accords which you showed by vilifying the Winter Soldier," Emma informed him, her fists clenched. "Journalists are supposed to deliver news. Not write a fictional propaganda article about how great the accords are and how the Winter Soldier should be thrown in Raft."

"I never said the Winter Soldier should be thrown in Raft. I just suggested that the Sokovia Accords were too lenient with him," Perry argued, sounding completely calm while Emma was practically fuming. "Anyways…the Winter Soldier is a murderer, right? It was leaked in HydraGate years ago that he's assassinated close to a hundred people."

"He was the gun and Hydra was the trigger," Emma retorted, wishing she could somehow reach through the phone and beat the shit out of this nosy ass reporter.

"You sound an awful like the NRA," Perry informed her and Emma scoffed.

"Fuck the NRA. They can shove their guns up their asses for all I care," Emma snapped before forcing herself to take a calmer tone with the idiot she was talking to. "I care that you're spreading misinformation about a very real person. A person who was abused by Hydra for seventy years in ways that you can't even begin to imagine."

"Why do you care so much about the Winter Soldier?" Perry questioned while Emma blushed. She knew it was stupid talking to this guy but that article pissed her off. Who had the right to talk about her father like that? "Wait a second. Are you one of those women who wants to marry him? Like one of Ted Bundy's girlfriends?"

"No, I'm just a very concerned citizen who wants you to retract your inaccurate statements about Bucky Barnes," Emma insisted, gritting her teeth as she glared at the wall in front of her. "If you want I have ways of giving you information on the Avengers that you won't find in those leaked Hydra files."

"How?" Perry said after a brief moment of silence.

"I know people," Emma said casually. She didn't really care about what reporters said about the Avengers but her father was a different story. Maybe if she gave him information about the Avengers, he would write an article about her father in a more positive light. "My point is that the Winter Soldier was brainwashed. I could send you the schematics of the machine Hydra used to brainwash him and you can have an expert analyze it themselves to determine the trauma something like that does to one's mind. I'm sure as a journalist you have a list of people you know."

"You can send me the schematics of that machine and I'll maybe _consider_ writing a new article about the Winter Soldier," Perry said, clearly fishing for something. "What info on the Avengers can you give me?"

Emma chewed anxiously on the inside of her cheek before answering.

"You know the Viper Assassin?" Emma said quietly and Perry scoffed.

"Of course."

"Have you noticed that Spider-Man's been going solo lately?" Emma said knowingly. "Viper hasn't been seen in a week now."

"I guess you're right," Perry said, sounding unsure.

"Well, that's because she's been temporarily suspended from any Avenger related activity for the foreseeable future," Emma informed him.

"Why?" Perry questioned in surprise.

"Secretary Ross is a tyrant. He's in it for himself," Emma said and a part of her took pleasure in causing more trouble for Ross. The Strange stuff was one thing but this was a step further. "You either agree with him or you're asked to step down from your job. Viper has an ideology that's separate from those of Ross and Tony Stark. Ross didn't like it so he ordered a psychiatric evaluation to be performed on her. She failed it…big surprise. The evaluation was performed by a Dr. Gabriella Wallis who went to school with Ross's daughter."

"You think he set her up?" Perry asked her.

"Probably. It's not unusual for a man like Ross to feel threatened by a powerful woman. He got scared of her strength and mind so he got her suspended," Emma continued to tell the eager reporter. "It goes to show you that toxic masculinity doesn't just exist in Hollywood or in an office type setting. It happens within the Avengers too. They label a woman as hysterical and difficult to work with when they find her ideas and abilities to be dangerous. Ever notice how the Avengers only had two official female members who are now conveniently on the run?"

Emma actually didn't know much about feminism. Only what she learned from MJ and Darcy but that sounded like something they'd say. Maybe they were right too. It was weird that there had only been two female Avengers so far compared to the eight or so men that had been on the team.

"How do I know if any of this is true?" Perry questioned suspiciously.

"You can call the public relations office of Stark Industries for a comment. When they refuse to give a statement then you know that something's up," Emma said, giving him advice. "Now doesn't this sound like a really good story? A far cry from your crappy Winter Soldier article."

"It does sound good," Perry admitted, chuckling a bit. "How do you know all this, anyways? You have to be on the inside to know all this. You work for Stark Industries then? Out of the Avengers compound upstate?"

"You could say that," Emma answered vaguely. "Are you going to retract your statements about the Winter Soldier with all the information I'm giving you."

"You know, he still killed a lot of people, right? Even if he was brainwashed. You think he shouldn't be punished for that?" Perry asked quietly and Emma considered his question for a moment before answering.

"He's not a bad person," Emma told the man, giving him a sincere answer. "He's just one of the most unluckiest people on the face of the planet. Besides…Captain America and Iron Man have killed way more people yet people see them as heroes."

"They saved a lot of people in return," Perry pointed out and Emma swallowed hard.

"Maybe Bucky Barnes hasn't saved the world yet but he's saved one person countless times. I think that should count for something," Emma said softly.

"Who are you and why do you care so much about him?" Perry asked and it was clear he thought Emma was way more than a concerned citizen who happened to work for Stark Industries.

"I'm an anonymous source," Emma answered, her voice growing cold as she forced herself to not think of her father and what he meant to her. She would only get overly emotional if she did that.

"You're her, aren't you?" Perry asked, clearly shocked and almost without words as he realized who he had been talking with for the past half an hour. "The Viper Assassin."

He continued to speak when Emma didn't say anything.

"No one's been able to talk to you. The Avengers hide you away so good and I've always wondered why since they don't do that with anyone else," Perry remarked, trying to think of a question to ask her but his mind was restless. "No one even knows who you are or what your real name is. You've never given an interview or anything like that yet you're speaking to me now over the phone because you don't like how I portrayed the Winter Soldier in my article."

"His name is Bucky Barnes," Emma said quietly, neither denying or confirming Perry's inquiries. "You should remember that. He likes cooking, knitting, and Steve Martin movies. He's also an amazing dancer from what I've been told. He's a human-being and not a monster."

"Noted," Perry said breathlessly into the phone. "I can't believe I'm talking to you right now. I don't know if I'm about to shit my pants or laugh. Maybe both."

"I'm an anonymous source," Emma repeated, deciding that she was done with this conversation. She felt like she did her job and it was best to let Perry get to work with the information she provided him with. "If you try to claim that I'm anything else then I'll call you a liar and your work will be discredited."

"I totally understand. Anonymous source," Perry confirmed before letting his excitement get the better of him. "Can I call you? You know…if you're looking to do an interview or something."

"I'll send you those files I promised," Emma deadpanned before hanging up on the reporter.

The blonde stood there with her hand still on the phone. The chatter in the store should've distracted her but she didn't. She fully realized that she was making dangerous moves that could either send her to Raft or for her end up on Tony's shit list. Emma didn't really know why she was making risky choices like this but she knew she didn't stand for anyone speaking ill of her father.

Not even some random reporter.

Tony was totally going to murder her if he ever found out about the stunts she'd been pulling lately.

Even so…Emma wasn't sorry.

* * *

Tony watched Peter researching something on the holographic screen inside the lab. He swallowed hard because he had been watching the kid for almost a week and a half now. Actually…he'd been watching both teenagers for a week and a half now but he never saw anything different about Peter. He was the same dorky kid he usually was. Happy to be there and happy to lend a helping hand.

Happy to be with his girlfriend.

It was Emma who seemed a little off.

The blonde was quieter than usual, never even taking time to retort to his teasing remarks. She'd just shrug and grow quiet once more. Tony thought Peter would've noticed something off but he was so excited about coming up with a promposal for Emma. It made Tony feel bad considering what he saw that day with Emma and Barnes in the gym.

He didn't understand that girl.

She was really going to break up with Peter and ruin the good thing they had?

"How are things going over there, kid?" Tony asked the teenager hesitantly. Peter barely looked up from the screen.

"Great, Mr. Stark." Peter said excitedly. "I've been looking at different promposal ideas all day and there's this one that's super punny with song lyrics. Emma loves music so I was thinking I could do one with lyrics from Haim or Lana Del Rey. On second thought…maybe not Lana Del Rey. She's more depressing than romantic."

"School's going okay then?" Tony asked worriedly and Peter shrugged.

"Yeah, I got straight A's except in Creative Writing but Emma's helping me with that. She took it last semester," Peter explained distractedly before returning his attention to the screen. "She's good with words and all that. You know how Emma is."

"So everything with Emma is great?" Tony asked him and Peter nodded.

"Yeah, it's going really well," Peter told him, completely oblivious to what Tony knew. "That Haim concert was so much fun. Prom's coming up too so I've been saving up my money so I can take her somewhere really nice for dinner before prom and-"

"Kid, something's going on with her," Tony interrupted, unable to help himself. Peter blinked once.

"What?" The teenager questioned in confusion. Tony sighed before elaborating.

"Look, I didn't want to meddle in this because it's not really my business but I overheard her talking to Barnes a week or so ago," Tony mentioned and Peter still seemed perplexed by what the billionaire was trying to tell him. "She made it seem like you two were having problems."

"Problems?" Peter said, still not understanding. Tony nodded.

"Yeah, she made it seem like you were having relationship issues. I mean, I didn't catch the whole conversation but she seemed really upset," Tony informed him and Peter just stared at him. He slowly shook his head.

"Emma and I aren't having relationship problems, Mr. Stark," Peter insisted, trying to find a logical explanation for what Tony might've heard. "We're happy…really happy. And she totally would've told me if something was bothering her."

"Would she have?" Tony questioned, raising an eyebrow. "We both know Emma's not the most forthcoming with emotions and feelings."

"She would tell me," Peter insisted. "She promised me no more secrets. After Rumlow, we decided to be more open and honest with each other."

"Peter, she told her father that she might want to end things," Tony finally told him. Peter knew it was serious too from the way Tony called him by his first name. "I know what I heard. I think that maybe you need to talk to her because she's been acting weird lately. I don't know what's going on with her."

"She said she wanted to break up?" Peter asked fearfully, his brown eyes wide with terror as he stared at Tony. The billionaire felt an ache in his chest from the way the kid was staring at him. It was clear to Tony that this was some of the worst news he could've ever given the kid.

"You really need to talk to her," Tony said quietly. "Clearly she's been acting odd lately. Maybe if you talk some sense into her, you can sort it all out. Just talk to her."

"Why would she want to break up with me?" Peter asked, looking panicked and not really paying attention to anything Tony just said. "What did I do wrong? Do you think I'm too clingy? I just always thought she liked that."

"Kid, calm down-" Tony started to say but Peter interrupted him.

"Do you think there's someone else?" Peter said, completely scared by the very notion. He was very aware of the fact Emma could have any guy she wanted. Peter never understood why she picked him of all people. "Maybe that's why she wants to end things."

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no other guy," Tony told him, almost rolling his eyes at the thought of Emma somehow dumping Peter for another guy. The girl never glanced in the direction of other guys. Peter was the only one she looked at in that way. "I think it's something else. She's going through something and you just have to talk it out. I'm sure everything will be okay."

"What if it's not?" Peter said in a lost voice. He was almost on the verge of tears. "I can't lose her, Mr. Stark. She's it."

"I know, kid," Tony tried to say but Peter just shook his head.

"No," Peter said in a serious tone. "She's _the _one. I've always known that."

"Talk to her," Tony pressed on in a voice that was meant to be soothing. "Take it one step at a time."

"I don't understand why hasn't said anything to me," Peter said in confusion. "Why wouldn't she talk to me about this? She'll talk to her father but not me?"

Peter then felt a wave of anger come over him.

Of course, she would talk to her father over him. She talked to her father about everything. Things she wouldn't even try talking to Peter about. It was always papa this and papa that. Now she was telling her father she wanted to break up with him.

Her dad probably told her to do it.

Peter felt betrayed that Emma wouldn't talk to him about whatever was going on with her. She promised him that she wouldn't hide things anymore. She promised to be open with him.

Emma was definitely open about her feelings.

Just not with him.

Only with her father.

"Just don't hold her secretness against her," Tony tried to tell the boy who was clearly growing angrier by the second. "With her being temporarily suspended from Viper I think-"

"But you heard her say this before she was suspended, didn't you?" Peter said, accusingly. Tony paused for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"She's been acting off for a while now," Tony told him quietly. "I'm worried about her. She hasn't been herself."

"She's been lying to me for a while now," Peter said in response. Tony swallowed hard.

"Kid, there are things about her that she may never tell you," Tony finally said. "I've known her since she was a baby and I've gotten used to who she turned into after we rescued her from Hydra. Sometimes I forget she was ever that little girl who loved playing with her toy horses and smiled at everyone who walked into the room. She keeps everything close to the chest. Closer than any of us do…except with Barnes for whatever reason."

"I just want to be the one she tells everything to," Peter said, a tear falling from his eye. "Is it selfish to want her to do that with me and not her father."

"I don't think so," Tony replied, looking sympathetic as he sought to find words to comfort the boy. "But Emma's not the type of girl you give up on. She's self-loathing and scared while hiding behind a façade of arrogance and narcissism. I know because I can be same way at times and Pepper never gave up on me. Well, sometimes she needed a break but who can blame her."

"I love her," Peter said softly and Tony smiled at him although the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I know you do."

* * *

Emma was working on a homework assignment in her bedroom at the compound. Her father was watching TV with Darcy in the other room so she decided to give them some time alone. In all honesty, she wasn't really jealous that her father was spending time with a girl that wasn't her. She was honestly happy for him. He deserved to be with someone who didn't see him as the Winter Soldier and he deserved to fall in love with someone like Emma had.

Not that her father and Darcy were in love.

It was still fairly early on in their relationship but Emma hoped that someday he could find that happiness.

Emma was also encompassed by a feeling of relief after that phone call with Perry Layton. She already sent him the file about the machine that Hydra used to use on her father. Hopefully there would be an article coming out soon about how her father wasn't really at fault for past actions. Sure, there would be a negative article about the Avengers but the Avengers were used to bad press these days.

What was another article?

It was only then that Emma diverted her attention from her notebook and noticed her boyfriend standing in the doorway. She hadn't noticed him before which was unlike her. No one could sneak up on her yet he had. Maybe it was because she was so distracted lately.

"What are you thinking about?" Peter asked her with an expression on his face that she couldn't read.

"Nothing…just doing my Physics homework. Or trying to, at least. I don't know how this comes easy to you," Emma admitted, laughing a bit but for once Peter didn't laugh with her. He walked further into the room and shut the door behind him. For a moment, Emma thought he wanted to have sex.

"Peter, we can't. My father's just down the hall-" Emma started to say but Peter didn't let finish.

"I never know what you're thinking," Peter told her, the serious look on his face unwavering. "We've been together for over a year and a half now and I'm no closer to figuring you out than when I met you."

"What are you talking about?" Emma said, her smile fading as she started to suspect this was about something else entirely.

"I used to like it because it made you mysterious and cool," Peter continued to tell her. "But now I realize that it just means that I can't reach you and that you still don't trust me enough to thrown down your walls. I just wanted you to let me in but you won't even do that."

"What is this about?" Emma asked quietly, knowing that Peter was clearly angry at her. He stared at her in silence for a moment before finally answering.

"Mr. Stark overheard you talking to your father about how you want to dump me," Peter finally told her and Emma let out a deep breath.

This wasn't how Emma wanted him to figure it out.

Emma was going to talk to him this coming week but like always, Tony meddled in shit that was none of his business. Now that he had, a fight with Peter was inevitable. The day she could lose him all of a sudden came a lot quicker than before.

"Tony doesn't know what he heard," Emma said, trying to contain her anger at Tony. Tony who had probably screwed things up worse than they otherwise would've been.

"Really? Because he seemed pretty certain that's what you said," Peter said angrily before scoffing. "Of course, your father would know more about our relationship than I do, right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma questioned, narrowing her eyes and Peter glared at her.

"It means that you're seventeen, Emma, and it's about time you get off daddy's tit," Peter snapped and Emma glared back at him. "You tell your father everything but you obviously don't with me."

"He's my father, Peter," Emma argued, feeling hurt that Peter would be angry at how close she was with her father. "And he's more than that too. We share a bond that you would never understand. Not even Steve can understand. We were in Hydra together for years. No one ever saved us or gave much thought about us. We were just a couple dead loved ones to Steve Rogers. Forgotten after the story faded into the background of his legacy."

"Help me understand then!" Peter exclaimed and Emma looked away from him.

"We were all each other had in that base. We trained together, killed together, and hated the monsters we became together," Emma said darkly. "You'll never understand me like him and no one will understand him like me either. Now I'm all he's got left here. You think Tony will stick up for him? He killed Tony's parents. Steve? Well, Steve's not here, is he? I'm all he has."

"I know that!" Peter yelled at her. "I just hate that you always go running off to daddy about stuff you should talk to me about. Your dad isn't a part of our relationship. It should be between you and me but you still go to him and tell him things you should be telling me."

"He's always given me advice. I just needed to talk to him because I didn't know what else to do," Emma admitted, feeling tears flood her eyes. Peter stared back at her incredulously.

"Why did you need his advice?" Peter questioned, frustrated by whatever she was keeping to herself. "Advice on how to dump me? What is it then? Is there someone else?"

"How can you even ask me that, Peter? How can you think I would ever even look at another person?" Emma threw back at him, hurt by him thinking so lowly of her. "I could never love anyone else like I love you."

"You don't love me enough to be honest with me," Peter accused and Emma shut her eyes, trying to blink away the tears, before opening them again.

"I can't do this anymore, Peter," Emma finally admitted, causing Peter to stared at her in confusion. "I can't be Viper anymore."

"I know you were suspended but-" Peter told her but she interrupted him.

"This isn't about the suspension," Emma said, taking a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "I haven't wanted to be Viper in a while. In fact, maybe I never wanted to be her. Hydra forced her on me and then I just continued on with it when the Avengers took me in. It was never my choice."

"What are you saying?" Peter questioned and Emma shrugged.

"I don't want to be Viper anymore. I don't want to be an Avenger either. I don't want any of it," Emma told him, being honest with him for the first time in a while. "I like being with you but I don't like being with Spider-Man."

"That doesn't make sense," Peter said, looking entirely confused by what his girlfriend said. "I _am_ Spider-Man."

"I mean that I like going out with you, I like talking about stuff that doesn't matter with you, I like falling asleep with you, and I like the way you make me safe…even when we're making love which I never thought was possible," Emma said, listing all the things she loved about their lives as Peter Parker and Emma Rogers. "I never thought I would ever have the need to feel safe and I don't but you still make me feel that way. It's why I'm never going to be Viper again."

"You don't mean that," Peter told her, shaking his head. "We're going to be Avengers together, remember? We promised each other that."

"That's what you and Tony wanted. It's not what I wanted," Emma threw back at him. "Peter, we don't have to do this. We don't have to be anything but this."

"I don't understand," Peter said, giving her an odd look.

"Who says that we have to be Avengers?" Emma questioned, "Just because you got bitten by a radioactive spider and I have Howard Stark's super serum running through my veins. We didn't choose this. Not like Tony and Steve did."

"Emma, my uncle died because I had these powers and didn't do anything with them. I was given the responsibility to do something with them the moment that spider bit me," Peter told her, trying to understand what was going on in her mind. "If I don't do anything then that doesn't make me any better than the bad guy."

"But why?" Emma questioned, trying to get him to see her point of view. "Because of fate or some pre-ordained destiny? Fate's not real. Good things and bad things happen all the time but not because of fate. It just happens because it does just like the world keeps spinning. You can explain it with science and accept that it keeps spinning because it just does."

"I believe in fate," Peter said quietly, staring into her tear flooded blue eyes. "I believe in fate because of us. Our parents met each other on a mission when our mother's were pregnant with the both of us and then years later I get bit by that radioactive spider which gets Tony's attention who then brings you to me. It had to be fate."

"Peter, we don't have to be what everyone wants us to be," Emma insisted, taking her hands in his. "We can get away from all the Avengers crap. Peter, I'll marry you and we can even have kids someday. I want that with you."

"You do?" Peter asked in shock because it was the first time she ever expressed any desire to want that. She nodded.

"I want to have a life away from this," Emma said as hope filled her chest that maybe Peter would agree to her idea. "Just you and me. No more Spider-Man and Viper. All the times you stay over and spend the night with me could happen all the time. We don't owe anything to anyone and we could be so happy."

"Emma…" Peter trailed off and Emma shook her head.

"The Avengers will survive without us. They'll always be another do-gooder to add to the cause," Emma said and Peter had to admit her argument was convincing. "They don't need us. All I want is you, Peter. We wouldn't be hurting anyone by walking away from everything."

"Emma, I want you too," Peter told her honestly. "There's nothing more than I want then a life like that with you. I understand why you might not want to be Viper anymore but you have to understand that I can't just stop being Spider-Man. I have a responsibility."

"To who?" Emma questioned.

"I have a responsibility because I have these powers," Peter tried to tell her. "But just because I'm Spider-Man doesn't mean we also can't have the life you're talking about."

"Yes it does," Emma said shortly when she started to realize that maybe Peter wouldn't understand, after all.

"No, it doesn't. Just because I'm Spider-Man, it doesn't mean we can't get married someday and have kids…that we can't be happy together," Peter said with a small smile on his face. "Me being Spider-Man doesn't change anything. If you don't want to be Viper, that's fine. I respect your choice if that's really what you want."

"But it does mean that," Emma argued as she got up from her bed and walked away from him. Peter looked up at her in confusion before following her. "You think that we can live a normal life while still going out and trying to save the world? That we'll just come to the kids and kiss their little heads goodnight before getting a full night of sleep?"

"Why are you talking like this?" Peter asked her, eyeing her with concern. Emma turned back to him.

"My parents thought the same exact thing as you, Peter. They thought they could have me and live a normal, happy life," Emma said bitterly. "They didn't count on getting themselves killed while the evil organization, my grandfather supposedly stopped, kidnapped me and turned me into everything he stood against. I won't inflict that on someone else, Peter."

"That would never happen, Emma," Peter insisted, trying grab a hold of her hands but she backed away from him. "We'd protect them. It would be fine."

"You don't think my parents thought the same thing?" Emma said, shaking her head at him. "You don't know what I did in Hydra, Peter."

"Yes, I do," He argued and she glared at him.

"No, you don't. Not really. Not the details," Emma denied. "Because you don't want to know. It ruins your perception of me. The fact that I've done bad things with the hands I touch you with. That maybe I'm not as good as you think I am."

"That's not true," Peter told her. "I know you and I know you're good. You're not a bad person."

"Maybe I'm not bad but I don't think I'm good either," Emma tried to tell him. "I don't think it's that simple."

"Then tell me," Peter pleaded with her. "Let me in and tell me."

"I killed so many people in Hydra, Peter," Emma blurted out, watching Peter closely for his reaction. "I'd watch as they begged me not to…as they told me they could pay me or that they had families as if it would make a difference. My only purpose back then was serving Hydra. The mission and nothing else."

"You were a child, Emma. You didn't know any better," Peter tried to tell her.

"I was what Hydra wanted me to be," Emma retorted. "The thing is that I don't think I can really let any of that go. It's not easy for me to be the Viper like it is for you to be Spider-Man…to make the right call and all of that."

"What are you saying?" Peter questioned and Emma shook her head.

"I'm saying that it's easier to be bad than good and I'm not cut out for it. I'm not Steve and I'm never going to be like him," Emma said and Peter could tell that all this seemed to be bothering her for some time. "Please just don't do it, Peter. Don't do it anymore."

"You can't ask me to do that," Peter tried to tell her, knowing that he couldn't handle Emma begging him for this. It would be so easy to cave into her. "You can't ask me to stop being Spider-Man."

"If you die no one would care. They'd mourn you like they mourn heroes that sacrificed their lives for the greater good then they'd move on like it was nothing," Emma said, tears falling from her eyes. "They wouldn't care like I would. They wouldn't lose everything like me and for what? A bunch of lives saved? If there was a world where you didn't get bit by that spider then none of this would even matter."

"But there isn't a world where I didn't get bitten by the spider," Peter pointed out to her. "This _is_ the world we live in, Emma."

"I can't do it, Peter," Emma told him through the tears. "I can't put someone through what I went through. What my parents made me go through."

"You wouldn't," Peter insisted.

"I can't have children with you if you're going to be Spider-Man," Emma finally told him what she'd been dreading telling him this whole. "I've done a lot of bad things. I'm selfish, mean, cold, and a liar but after everything they did to me in that base, I can't picture myself knowingly letting that happen to someone else. Not if I can control it."

"Emma, you don't mean that," Peter said, reaching for her hand but she swatted it away.

"I do mean it, Peter," Emma told him and Peter knew she wasn't lying when she said that. He scoffed.

"Why are we talking about something that's this far off into the future? We're still in high school," Peter tried to point to her and Emma looked at him incredulously.

"Who is it that mentions marriage and kids every other day?" Emma told him, getting angry at him for speaking to her like she was the crazy one who brought the thing up in the first place. "You always go on and on about it. You never stop badgering me about it. What else am I supposed to think about when you throw it in my face all the time?"

"You're being selfish, Emma," Peter said, getting angry at her as well. It was like she was angry at him just for wanting a future with her. Emma never felt more angry at him than in that moment. "You can't give me an ultimatum. That's not fair."

"I'm being selfish? Me?" Emma questioned in disbelief. "You think you can have it all. You think we'll live these perfect lives where we have these amazing careers during the day and be Avengers by night. You think we'll get married in some fairytale wedding and then pop out a couple kids. We'll all be some perfect happy family which is a happy ending for a couple of orphans like us, right?"

"I don't think we can have it all. I just think that not everything is doomed to fail," Peter snapped at her. "I'm not paranoid like you."

"And I'm not naïve like you," Emma retorted, giving him a frustrated look. "And you wouldn't know, would you? You had a childhood. You got to go to school with other kids and make friends on the playground. You get so embarrassed by your school pictures and you threaten to find equally embarrassing ones of me but you never will. You know why?! Because I don't have any because I didn't have a childhood like you."

"Emma-" Peter started to say and Emma cut him off.

"I planted bombs in car and watched the way people's body parts went flying. Now when something explodes in the microwave, it reminds me of that," Emma said bitterly, letting out a humorless laugh as Peter stared at her like he didn't know her. "I murdered people and watched the life drain out of their eyes as I contemplated whether their souls really did leave their bodies or if their souls got sucked in so far until they became empty."

"You never had it tough. You've lived in a bubble your whole life with Aunt and Uncle who tucked you into bed every night and told you they loved you," Emma ranted as Peter just watched her. "I lived in a windowless room for nine years, counting the scratch marks on the door that I made from when I was four and they first dumped me in that place For the couple years I thought someone would save me. Probably Tony, I guess. I don't know. I don't remember a lot from that age. I think my mind suppressed the memories."

"I know you had it worse but I never had it easy either. My parents and my uncle were killed-" Peter told her angrily and Emma shook her head.

"You had people who were there for you. When my parents were killed, I was locked in a room and starved until I obeyed the people who did it. They treated me like an animal. Beat and starved me when I disobeyed them and rewarded me when I made them proud," Emma retorted. She tried blink away the tears but all attempts were useless at this point. "The only affection I ever felt was from a man who didn't even know his own name and he never touched me. He just lied to protect me and I basked in it because it was the only affection I remembered having. The only human contact."

"You don't what it's like to feel so alone," Emma said, starting to cry while she turned away from him. Peter's anger faded as he felt his heart break for Emma. This was a side of her that he didn't think he'd ever seen. It was a fear that was different than the fear she used to feel for Rumlow. It was almost like she was scared of the world instead of just one person. "To spend everyday waiting for the next mission because it was the only thing I had to live for. To fall apart every time they took my father away because he was the only person I ever loved."

"You question why I'm so close with him?" Emma questioned incredulously, looking back at him. "It's because no one ever treated me with kindness like he did. No one ever loved me or cared about me but he did. Even if he never said it. I knew he cared."

"I care, Emma. Emma, I love you," Peter told her, trying to hold her but she refused to let him touch her.

"I didn't have anything but I had him," Emma said quietly, swallowing hard. "And he's the only one who understands me because you don't get it and you never will."

Emma met his eyes and Peter couldn't put his finger on it but she seemed so far away from him even though she was standing right in front of him.

"I'm never going to have children with you. I can't do it. Not after everything that happened to me in Hydra," Emma said, her voice breaking because she was about to do the very thing she never would've imagined she could do. "And I'm not going to give you an ultimatum either."

"What does that even mean?" Peter asked, tears flooding his own eyes because deep down he knew.

"I have to make this choice now, Peter, because if I don't I know that I'll give in to you somewhere down the road. I can't refuse you. You make me so weak," Emma told him, struggling to keep her voice calm but miserably failing at the same time. "I know that if I stay with you I'll have those kids and when something happens to them, I'll hate you for it."

"Or maybe someday you'll give up Spider-Man for me," Emma wondered aloud while Peter felt like his heart was going to break into a million pieces. "Then something bad in the world will happen where lots of people die and you'll hate me for making you stop."

"You know, you can do anything you want to me," Emma informed him, no longer trying to hold back tears as she stared at him. "You could tell me how much my past disgusts you and how you wished never you met me. You could throw me down on this floor and have your way with me. You could even put your hands around my throat and choke the life out of me. I'd let you do it all and I'd still love you."

"Emma, you don't know what you're saying," Peter tried to tell her but Emma wasn't listening to him anymore.

"I used to be afraid that I wouldn't be able to love anyone period but now I'm afraid because I think I might love you too much," Emma said, eyebrows furrowed because not even she could understand why she felt this way. "The only reason I decided to fight crime as Viper is because of you. I don't think I would've done it if we hadn't met. I stayed on the decathlon team because I didn't want to be away from you. I always want to be with you."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Peter said, sniffling as he feared what Emma would say next. "We're in love. We should always want to be together. That's what people in love do."

"Not like this," Emma said, coming across a stunning realization. "I don't know if I want to do something because it's want I want or if it's what you want. I don't know anymore. I just know that's not healthy. I don't think we're good for each other."

"Don't say that," Peter warned her, looking scared because he knew he was close to losing Emma.

"My whole life I've been following orders," Emma spoke softly, looking lost every step of the way. "I did what people wanted me to do. It doesn't matter if it was Hydra, Tony, Steve, or even you. I've never made any decisions myself. That's why I fell in love with you so hard. Because you've shown me that there's so much more to life than this world of assassins, spies, and global threats. I love you for that. You showed me that I'm more than just a killer…that I can be so much more."

"I love you too, Emma, and whatever you're feeling, we can work it out," Peter said, growing desperate as he tried to get her to remember that she loved him. "Just you and me."

"I don't want the same life you do," Emma said, ignoring his previous words. "I don't want anything to do with the Avengers. I don't want to be one and I really don't want to die as one."

"I understand and that's okay-" Peter started to say but she didn't let him finish.

"We don't want the same things, Peter," Emma told him bluntly. "I thought maybe I could convince you to leave Spider-Man behind somehow."

"I'll do it," Peter said, pleading with her. "I'll give it up, Emma. We can make it work."

"You don't really want to leave it behind," Emma says with a knowing look on her face. "I know you love me and you'd do it for me. The same way I know that I love you and I know that I could never make you give up something you love. I thought I could but I don't think I could live with the idea of you someday resenting me for it."

"I'd do anything for you, Emma," Peter said, trying to stifle his sobs. "Spider-Man's nothing to me compared to you. I can't be without you."

"I think we're too different," Emma said softly, hating herself for making Peter cry. "I think that me and the Viper Assassin are two different people but you and Spider-Man are the same. That's the difference between us. You want to save the world and I just want to survive it."

"Stop talking like this," Peter said, starting to get angry again. He was desperate to make Emma stay and to make her realize how stupid she was being. "Stop talking like this is the end. You promised that we'd always be together. No matter what…that you'd always love me."

"I don't think loving someone is enough, Peter," Emma said, feeling on the verge of breaking down in huge sobs. "Which is why I don't think we should be together anymore."

"Shut up!" Peter yelled at her and it was perhaps the first time she ever saw him that angry. It scared her at the same time it broke her heart. "You don't know what you're saying. It's stupid. Loving each other should be enough. All the other complicated stuff we can figure out later as long as we're together."

"You scare me," Emma finally confessed to him and Peter stared at her in disbelief. "I have no self-control when it comes to you. You're my greatest weakness and I get scared of the power you hold over me. You've consumed every part of me, body and soul, and that terrifies me. You used to say that we're Batman and Catwoman but sometimes I feel like we're Batman and the Joker. I don't feel like any of it's healthy at this point."

"So that's it?" Peter questioned, not believing that she was really breaking up with him. "You're just going to leave because you're afraid that our love is too strong? That's ridiculous. Couples don't break up because they love each other too much. They break up because they don't."

"I can't do this anymore, Peter. I'm sorry," Emma said emotionally and Peter shook his head in anger.

"Fine. Do whatever you want, Emma, like you always do," Peter snapped at her, furious at both her and himself. "Just know that when you realize how stupid this is, I'll be waiting right here for you because I'm not just going give up on us like you. I'll always wait for you."

"Peter…" Emma trailed off, wanting to know she was serious when she started to take off her necklace. Peter watched her remove the necklace from her neck. She practically stomped on his heart and crushed it under her foot when she did that. The very same necklace he gave her all that time ago when he told her that she was the girl he was going to marry someday. "It's yours."

"No, it's not," Peter said in a hurt voice. Hurt that she would even try to give it back to him. Like it was so easy for her to break his heart and then simply return it back to him when she decided she didn't want it anymore. "I gave it to you because I wanted to you to have it. You're still the love of my life, Emma. This doesn't change anything."

"Peter, don't-" Emma tried to say but Peter stopped her.

"I'm serious, Emma," Peter told her, still at a lost as to what just happened between them. "I love you more than anything and I don't care if I have to wait forever for you. You're the only one for me and nothing will change how I feel. I know you're only doing this because you think you don't deserve me or that I'm better off without you because you think you're not worth it but I know you are. That's why I'll wait."

"I won't change my mind," Emma said quietly, tears falling from her eyes as she looked away from him. Peter just scoffed before storming out of her room and slamming the door behind him.

It only took Emma a moment before she broke down in sobs.

She never imagined it would ever be her who ended her relationship with Peter.

Emma always knew how good she had it with Peter and never wanted to risk losing that yet she still broke up with him. She never intended in actually breaking up with him. Emma had been too scared to really consider it but during their fight, all her innermost fears and thoughts seemed to come pouring out of her.

It only took the fight to make her realize she had to let him go.

Emma loved him to death but maybe that was the problem.

She loved him so much she was willing to lose herself over him and it made Emma realize that she didn't know what she wanted. Not as a person. She had no individuality whatsoever. She was whatever the men in her life wanted her to be and maybe MJ was right in all her teasing about Emma's relationship with Peter.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt breaking things off with Peter and hurting him like that.

Emma never wanted to hurt him but she was afraid that they'd end up hating each other if they caved into the other's demands. There was no other option. They were at a dead end.

It was funny how in the matter of an hour, her whole life could be completely turned upside down. Emma realized that she just lost the best thing she ever had. It was a decision she knew was questionable and only time would tell if it was the right one.

Right now…Emma wasn't sure if it really was the right decision.

She either did the right thing or she just made the stupidest decision of her life.

"Emma?" Her father said in worried voice as he stood there in her doorway. Exactly where Peter had been standing an hour before when this whole thing began. "What's the matter?"

"Papa, I did it," Emma cried, unable to stop the sobs because it hurt so much. It hurt losing Peter and knowing that it might be over for good as much as she felt pain over hurting him. "I ended things with Peter."

"Emma…" Bucky Barnes said in a sad tone. Some might've expected Bucky to feel elated that she dumped the boy but Bucky felt no such thing. He was an overprotective father but he never wanted Emma to be unhappy like this.

"I didn't mean to but…it just happened," Emma said in a distraught voice and Bucky crossed the room towards her after closing the door behind him. He immediately gathered Emma into his arms and held her as she sobbed into his chest. "I hurt him so much but I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't pretend like everything was okay. I couldn't pretend like we weren't so different."

"Shhh," He whispered to her as he rubbed her back soothingly. "You don't have to say anything else. It's okay."

"I wanted him to want the same things I did but he couldn't," Emma said, crying more than she cried in some time. Bucky nodded as he listened to her. "He's going to hate me so much now. He said that I gave up on us. That I gave up like I didn't try to find some other way for us to be together. Like, I didn't try to be what he wanted me to be."

"He won't hate you. I don't think he could if he tried," Bucky told her, kissing the top of her head while holding her to him. "You did the right thing. You can't pretend your way through a relationship. Remember what I told you?"

"I just love him so much and now I lost him," Emma told him, sounding scared. "It's all my fault too. What if I made a mistake? What if I can't take it back?"

"Then we'll worry about that bridge when we cross it," Bucky said softly and he mentally cursed at himself.

He couldn't believe this was actually happening.

This was why Bucky hadn't been a fan of the relationship to begin with. He always thought Emma and Peter were too young to be that serious. Bucky tried to tell Steve that they were too serious for their age but Steve was stuck on the idea of Emma living a normal happy life and thinking Peter was a saint for giving her that. Bucky knew better than to think certain issues wouldn't pop up and destroy Emma's happiness.

Although this wasn't really an I-told-you-so moment. It was a moment where Bucky had to be the father Emma deserved and just hold her as she cried over a boy because that's what fathers did. They were there through all the happy times as well as the sad ones.

"Just let it all out," Bucky said gently as he continued to hold her. "Don't say anything else."

And so he just held her silently as she cried until there was no more tears left to shed. She must've cried herself to sleep. Bucky didn't know how long he held her in his arms as she cried and cried. More than he ever remembered her crying before.

It was only after witnessing all those tears and his now soaked t-shirt that he truly realized how much she loved that boy.

Bucky even wished that it didn't have to end this way.

It still didn't take away from the fact that it _had_ ended this way.

The former assassin watched as his daughter slept soundly on the bed while he sat next to her and watched her with concern. Emma could pretend to be tough all she wanted but Bucky knew she was vulnerable deep inside and that the break-up wouldn't be easy. She was sound asleep now but he worried about what she'd be like when the morning came.

Bucky wasn't sure how to comfort her, never having been in love or having his heart broken like she had but he had to try.

It was too bad Steve was still away. Steve would know what to say. He was always good with words.

Maybe Bucky wasn't as good with words but he loved Emma and he hoped that would be enough to help guide him through the motions of helping his daughter through heartbreak.

If it was any other boy, Bucky would simply tell her there was other fish in the sea like he used to tell his sisters.

Unfortunately for him, Peter Parker wasn't just any boy.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Author's Note: So this chapter is pretty long and a lot happens in it. Especially towards the end. I know the last chapter was a bit of tear-jerker so hopefully the long new chapter makes up for that. I wanted to update a little bit sooner but this chapter ended up being so long and I was also studying for my national exam. Hopefully I passed so I can start job hunting and start my career but also quit the crappy job I currently have. Wish me luck. **

**I also have to express my excitement for something totally unrelated. The new season of the Boys just came out and I'm pumped. It's kind of annoying that they're releasing episodes on a weekly basis but at least there's something to look forward to each week. Anyways, I'm really loving the new season so far and everyone should check the show out. It's on Amazon prime and it's essentially about if superheroes existed in the real world where they're greedy, corrupt, and just plain evil. **

**I was super excited to write this chapter and it was a lot of fun for me despite some more angst but it was the best. I hope you guys enjoy it just as much. I've also created a playlist for Emma and Peter's break-up on Spotify. It's mostly just break-up songs I love. There's a lot of pop and a lot of indie. Just stuff that I'd probably listen to if I just broke up with the love of my life. **

**I just forgot that doesn't let you put links on here. I'll try to see if I can post a link on my profile page but if not then I have a link in a post I made on Tumblr. My username is luckystrikesalterego.**

**I also have a spotify playlist for STNS that I never shared. I've yet to make one for North Star but that probably won't happen until after this story is over which also won't be for a long time. **

**I'm going to be answering guest reviews in another author's note after the end of the chapter.**

**A little warning this chapter has mentions of sexual content. I just thought I'd let you know.**

**So this is beginning of part two of the story which will contain the Ragnarok and Infinity War storylines. I'm both excited and scared to finally have reached this point. Thanks for being so patient because it's definitely been a long journey here.**

**Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews. I always appreciate it and please let me know what you think of the new chapter.**

* * *

_Remember me in a simple way,_

_ n__ot what I did or said_

_When I think of you now, _

_I just think of the day we met_

_Don't forget me, like I didn't care_

_Yeah, I stole from myself just to make you complete_

**_-Ellie Goulding(Flux)_**

* * *

**Part Two: Flux**

* * *

"I don't know anything anymore," Emma said sadly as she sat cross-legged in front of the blonde woman who had been occupying her dreams for the past several months. She couldn't tell where they were. It was dark and the only light was illuminated by a small window that displayed the stars outside. "I feel so lost. Even more so after ending things. Maybe it was a mistake."

"No offense but you sound really boy crazy," The woman named Carol told her, looking slightly annoyed by the blonde. "I guess that makes sense. You're just a teenage girl but I don't remember being that boy crazy when I was your age. I thought boys were annoying and a waste of time."

"I'm not boy crazy," Emma argued, glaring at the smug looking woman.

"All you ever talk about is your boyfriend or your father…or some guy named Steve," Carol told her and Emma didn't want to admit she was right. "You don't talk about anything else."

"Yes, I do," Emma retorted and Carol raised her eyebrows.

"What do you even want to do when you grow up?" Carol asked her and Emma just stared at her. Mostly because the question threw her off. No one had ever asked her that before.

"I…" Emma trailed off before swallowing hard. "Well, I guess the plan was to graduate from school, go to college, and then doing something in art."

"You're an artist?" Carol questioned and Emma nodded.

"I am. A really good one too," Emma said confidently.

"Then do something with that. There's a lot of stuff you can do with art," Carol informed her, giving the young girl advice. "You know, other than being a starving artist in Paris. You could do something in fashion. You seem like the kind of girl who likes clothes."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked her as she narrowed her eyes.

"I just mean you seem kind of girly," Carol observed and Emma crossed her arms.

"Just because I have an interest in clothes I'm apparently girly?" Emma questioned. "You know, there used to be a time in my life where I was only allowed to wear clothes that allowed for more mobility and were more suited for killing. I think I've earned the right to like clothes."

"My point is that you can use your newly found freedom to find yourself," Carol told her and Emma looked sad as she looked away.

"I wanted that normal life but I think that I only wanted it with Peter," Emma said quietly. "I don't know if I want it without him."

"You've only been with him? Don't you wonder what it's like be with other people?" Carol asked curiously. "How can you be so sure that apparently this Peter guy is it for you?"

"Because he knows what I've done and what's been done to me yet he still loves me despite it all," Emma explained to her as the woman just looked at her in surprise. It honestly made her feel sad for the girl because she realized the teenager had incredibly low self-esteem.

"You think you're lucky that he was with you," Carol said, not believing what she was hearing. It really had been a long time since Carol was a teenage girl. She'd forgotten how low their self-esteem could be. "That you didn't deserve to have him? That's ridiculous."

"I'm not an easy person to love," Emma said sadly and Carol shook her head.

"Stop pining over this guy and get your shit together," Carol lectured her and Emma looked at her. "Now's the time for you to push all this man bullshit aside and focus on yourself. You're like me, aren't you?"

"I don't know," Emma said quietly. She didn't want to think about Peter anymore "Whatever happened that day I told you about. What the Tesseract caused…well, I haven't been able to do it since. I've tried whenever I'm alone but nothing happens. Sometimes I wonder if I imagined it and maybe I'm even imagining these dreams."

"It's because you haven't been trained to use them," Carol informed her. "I was trained even though it was by the very people who were at fault for my powers but they still trained me. It takes someone who understands the power of the Tesseract to train you. I was trained by a race of warriors known as the Kree."

"I don't think I want to use them if I have them," Emma said thoughtfully. "That kind of power…it scares me. I'd rather stick to what I know."

"No offense but I think that could be dangerous," Carol told her. "The Tesseract is unpredictable and therefore that makes you unpredictable."

"I haven't had any problems so far," Emma murmured and Carol gave her a doubtful look.

"You told me you unintentionally killed that guy. You got angry and the next thing you knew, he was dead," Carol reminded her and Emma supposed she had a point. Emma looked down at her lap as she tried to find something else to talk about. She didn't want to think of the danger she might've posed. Everyone already thought she was mentally unstable. "You have to develop more control."

"I have control," Emma retorted and Carol didn't seem convinced.

"Whatever control you think you have isn't enough."

"You used to be from Earth," Emma stated, clearly wanting to talk about something else. "I've seen the memories in your head. Some of them, at least. How did you end up in space?"

"It's a really long story," Carol told her and Emma looked curious so she continued on. "I used to be a pilot for the Air Force. Short story short, I got into an accident which caused my powers and some bad people took me up here."

"I have a friend who used to be in the Air Force. Maybe you know him," Emma said, thinking of Sam. Carol just smiled before shaking her head.

"The Air Force isn't as small as you think," Carol told her before moving on. "Besides…it was a really long time ago."

"Why don't you come back?" Emma asked her. Carol shrugged.

"Everyone that knew me is either dead or they've long since moved on," Carol told her and Emma was confused by that. The woman didn't look that much older than Wanda. She had a hard time believing Carol was that old. "I also hear that Earth has a group of people defending it. Who does the rest of the galaxy have? Just me."

"They're not that great," Emma mumbled. "They're more like a broken family than a team."

"It's still better than what most planets have," Carol told her and Emma shrugged.

"It must be nice to live in space," Emma remarked, causing Carol to laugh. "You can just go from one planet to the next. You can just leave whenever you want."

"I don't run away from my problems," Carol said, giving the girl a knowing look. "You shouldn't either. You can't avoid stuff like that."

"I just wish I had some time and space to myself to think…just so I can wrap my mind around what's happening to me," Emma said, tears falling from her eyes. She wanted to laugh because that shouldn't be happening. This was a dream, after all. "I feel like I'm losing it. The world keeps spinning and I'm just stuck in one place. I wish I could just have the space to think without everyone staring at me like I'm crazy. What I did…it doesn't just affect him and I. It affects everyone around us and I'm going to be the bad guy."

"You don't know that," Carol told her, knowing what the blonde was talking about. Emma had given her a very brief summary over what happened.

"I'm so sick of it," Emma said in frustration. "Everyone thinks they know what's best for me. They think he was a great influence on me and made me a better person so I'm stupid for letting him go. They think I should be some sort of savior in order to redeem my past. Why should I feel guilty though? It's not like I wanted to do any of it. I was forced into it so why should I have to pay for what someone else did?"

"You do realize why everyone thinks you're crazy, right?" Carol questioned with an amused look on her face. "You literally sound like a crazed villain. No remorse for your past actions. You put the blame on other people."

"Why should I have remorse? I was a child," Emma told her, crossing her arms angrily. "People seem to only remember that when it's convenient for them. I'm just sick and tired of them constantly on my back about doing the right thing and how lucky I am to be with Peter. Like, I didn't know that? They have to remind me all the time."

Carol felt pity for the teenage girl. Everyone in the girl's life obviously had too high of expectations for her and she was slowly succumbing to the pressure. It sucked that no one in Emma's life was able to see that.

"You should tell them that your life is your own," Carol told her seriously. "I know that it might be hard to hear this but you're lucky that many people care about you. That they care about you a little too much sometimes. I didn't have that when I was your age."

"I just know that I can't be what they want me to be," Emma said, shaking her head. "I'm not like Peter. He was born to be what he is. It's easy for him. For me, the lines between what's bad and good get blurry. It's hard to make the right call."

"I think it's hard to make the right call no matter who you are," Carol said in response. "Anyone who acts like it's easy is lying to you. I actually don't think there's any way of knowing when to make the right call. Some situations don't afford you the luxury. You just have to make split second decisions and hope for the best."

"That's sounds terrifying," Emma said, smiling humorlessly. "I think I'd rather be the Joker type. It sounds easier and more fun."

"Maybe it is," Carol joked before Emma grew serious once more.

"The Tesseract keeps talking to me through my dreams," Emma told her quietly. "Whenever we don't talk, the Tesseract talks to me and it tells me things."

"What kind of things?" Carol asked her curiously and Emma shrugged.

"I don't know," Emma said, sounding a bit confused. "It was telling me how it needed my help. That an opportunity would present itself so I can save it. It promised me things if I saved it."

"Promised you what?" Carol asked her and Emma shook her head.

"It just knew things about me…things that I can't even admit about myself," Emma said vaguely, still haunted by the things the Tesseract told her. "It's just weird because I know where the Tesseract is and I know that it's impossible to retrieve it."

"Where is it?" Carol inquired and Emma swallowed hard before locking eyes with her.

"It's on Asgard," Emma informed her and Carol let out a low whistle at that.

"Fat chance at getting that," Carol said, knowing fully well just where Asgard was. "Asgard is on the outer limits of the galaxy. The system it's in is so far away it would take me a month's journey just to get there. You'd need a high quality ship. One that's a hundred times the size of mine."

"Earth isn't quite up there in long-distance space travel," Emma added and Carol chuckled before giving her a curious look.

"How do you know about Asgard, anyways? And how do you know the Tesseract's there?" Carol asked her and Emma didn't want to explain it. It was such a long story and Emma wasn't sure if she could even tell it right.

"It's a long story like you said before," Emma told her and Carol nodded. "I just know someone from Asgard."

"I wouldn't listen to what that thing says, anyways," Carol told her seriously. "It might've given us these powers but I don't trust it."

"Maybe you're right," Emma said thoughtfully and Carol smirked at her.

"I'm always right, Kid."

* * *

It was exactly a month after the break-up.

Or twenty-five days.

Emma was just rounding off.

Twenty-five days and Emma felt numb. It wasn't as if she wasn't reeling from the break-up. Of course Emma felt distraught over Peter but she also felt numb as she distanced herself from everyone in her life. The only people she really spent time with were her father, Darcy, and MJ.

Everyone else pretty much considered her the idiot who dumped Peter Parker.

Maybe she _was_ the idiot who dumped Peter Parker, after all.

Tony made sure she knew he was disappointed in her for breaking up with Peter. He gave her a disappointed look whenever he saw her so she avoided him for the most part. She also avoided him because she was furious at him for sticking his nose in her and Peter's love life to begin with. It was never his business but like always, Tony couldn't help but meddle in shit that wasn't his business.

"Are we just going to sit here and eat ice cream for a month or are you finally going to talk?" Darcy asked the blonde as they sat in the living room watching television. It was a school night and Emma already finished all her homework. It seemed like when she wasn't spending all her time with her boyfriend, she suddenly had time to do homework a couple weeks in advance.

"I'd rather just stuff my face with this disgusting ice cream," Emma told her bluntly without looking away from the screen. "This stuff tastes like the shit astronauts eat in space. It's so powdery."

"It's supposed to have less calories and sugar," Darcy pointed out. "I'm on a diet so I need to start thinking about stuff like that. Not all of us have a super fast metabolism like you."

"You don't need to go on a diet," Emma told her, happy to talk about anything that wasn't the shit her life had turned into. "You're hot. You actually have boobs unlike me. The thing you should worry about is that mouth of yours. You talk way too much. I don't know how it doesn't give my father a headache. It definitely gives me one."

"Yeah, well, your dad is really gorgeous and I don't know. I just feel like I don't really match up-" Darcy started to say and Emma scoffed.

"My father's definitely attracted to you if you were worried about that. He stares at your ass all the time. I wish I didn't notice," Emma reassured her before looking at the woman curiously. "He doesn't have any problems during sex, does he?"

"Ew! Why do you want to know that?" Darcy said in disgust and Emma shrugged before returning her attention to the TV.

"I know Hydra did a lot of stuff to him and I also know he probably hasn't had sex in seventy years," Emma informed her. "I just worry if there's any repercussions from any of that. I just want him to be happy."

"Well, I'm quite literally satisfied to report that everything works really well down there," Darcy said awkwardly, still disturbed by Emma actually wanting to know about her father's sex life. "There's definitely no problems there."

"Good," Emma said happily as she stuffed her face with more disgusting ice cream.

"Now are we finished talking about me and your father?" Darcy questioned, staring at the blonde. "Can we talk about you and Peter because I did not see that one coming."

"Didn't you? Didn't everyone?" Emma questioned, shaking her head. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, you know. It's a miracle how I could be in a relationship for any amount of time."

"Don't do that thing you do," Darcy scolded her. "That thing where you shit on yourself to deflect valid concerns about you."

"Fine…" Emma said, rolling her eyes as she put the ice cream down. "Peter and I are finished, Darcy. There's nothing more to say. It just didn't work out."

"So this isn't a temporary thing? This isn't like that time you fought before?" Darcy questioned and Emma shook her head.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, Darcy," Emma told her honestly. "I just ended it before either of us caused each other any more pain than necessary."

"I don't get it. You're in love with him," Darcy told her and Emma shook her head. "You are. You spent all your time with him, you looked at him in adoration, this boy was literally your whole world, and you two had sex all the time. Which I was cool with as long as two were safe and you were except for that one time. Wait…is that why you broke up? Did he pressure you into having sex without a condom?"

"Peter, didn't make me do anything. It broke," Emma lied to her. Not wanting to tell her that they had sex knowingly without a condom. "It was an accident. I already told you that."

"Sorry," Darcy said defensively. "I just wanted to make sure."

"I'm an asshole, okay? That's why we broke up," Emma said sarcastically before sighing. "There's a million reasons why and I just couldn't do it anymore. Now everyone thinks I'm the shitty person who broke Peter's heart and you know what? I _am _the shitty person who broke his heart but whatever. He'll thank me someday for it."

"I know you had your reasons and I don't think you're a shitty person for it," Darcy told her and Emma didn't seem convinced. "But that boy's entirely in love with you. I don't think he'd ever thank you for it. I've seen the way he stares at you at the compound. Like you're a ghost or something."

"He'll get over it," Emma said, pretending like she didn't care. "It wouldn't have worked between us. We're total opposites."

"Opposites attract," Darcy pointed out and Emma scoffed.

"Yeah but we're not compatible," Emma added, making Darcy confused. "He loves being Spider-Man and I hate being Viper. I was stupid thinking that we could have a life where we weren't that. I forgot who I fell in love with."

Darcy suddenly understood the reason behind the break-up. Bucky might've mentioned something offhandedly about disliking the way Tony pushed Emma into Avenger business. It made sense now why Bucky said those things.

"So that's it?" Darcy questioned and Emma nodded.

"I guess so," She told the older woman. "I mean, we just have different images of where our lives are going to go. If I really did try to make it work with him then one of us would be giving something up. Either way, someone loses and should it really be like that?"

"I guess not," Darcy said hesitantly.

The girl wouldn't admit it but she was clearly still upset about Peter.

Darcy just wished she would come to realize that.

* * *

"Now Aaron Burr was an ambitious man but what made him unpopular was that he had no real agenda or real political stance. I know what you're thinking. How can a politician have no political stance?" Mr. Harrington said, smiling awkwardly at the class. "Well, it happens. Just like when your wife says that she needs me time and then she gets drinks with her co-worker who looks a little too much like Ryan Gosling."

Emma wasn't paying attention to her dorky ass history teacher. She was focusing on her sketchbook in order to ignore the fact that Peter was staring at her. He always stared at her. Whether it was during class or in the halls.

It was difficult to avoid him when their lives were so connected.

Emma and MJ sat with Cindy Moon and Sally Avril most days during lunch. She felt bad for making MJ pick between friends but the girl just told her that Emma was more of her friend than Peter was. Emma also quit decathlon which disappointed a lot of her teammates but Emma didn't want to be around Peter anymore.

It was already difficult having two classes with him.

Emma also spent most of her time with her father at the compound and skipped the family dinners Tony organized. She didn't want to be subjected to the awkwardness of sitting next to her ex-boyfriend at the dinner table.

Fuck.

Is that what Peter was now?

Her ex-boyfriend.

They'd been broken up for a month now and Emma had never referred to him as such. Maybe because it hurt too much. Emma didn't know.

"He keeps staring at you," MJ informed Emma as if she didn't already know.

"I know," Emma said quietly as she sketched a weird looking tree that she saw in the forest behind the compound. She started taking long walks in the forest ever since the break-up when she wanted to give her father some time alone with Darcy.

"He stares at you all the time," MJ remarked and Emma sighed heavily. "He's super obvious about it. I'm not the only one who notices it."

"I get it. High school gossip spreads like wild fire," Emma deadpanned as she was aware of the fact that whole school knew she and Peter had broken up. People who weren't in their grade didn't care but the ones who were had theories. The most popular theory was that Emma left Peter for an older college boy.

It was nice how everyone thought so highly of her.

"Ned said that Peter's been super weird since the break-up," MJ pointed out and Emma's started shading more aggressively at that.

"And you do realize that he can hear every word you're saying," Emma told her and MJ grew silent as she looked back at the boy in question. It was clear that Emma didn't want to talk about it. MJ wouldn't push her either.

Not because she was afraid.

It was just how their friendship worked.

* * *

What went wrong?

Peter went through it about a million times in his head. Replaying specific moments as he tried to figure out when Emma decided that she didn't want to be with him anymore. It didn't make sense to him.

Everything seemed alright until Tony told him about Emma.

Where did it all go wrong?

They watched movies together like normal, flirted like normal, and laughed together like normal. Not to mention they had sex just a few days before Emma broke up with him. It didn't seem unusual. She hadn't seemed any less receptive or satisfied by it.

It was maybe the best sex they ever had considering the fact that they hadn't used a condom. Peter never thought sex could feel any better until that last time. If he closed his eyes he could even imagine it.

The way she looked up at him with the most beautiful blue eyes in existence. Her blonde hair was fanned out over the pillow. Her nails dug into his back harder with each thrust he delivered. She cried his name, tears escaping her eyes from the overstimulation when she came for the second time that night. Peter didn't think he'd ever cum so hard as he did then.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and cursed himself for thinking of that. Because now he just felt shitter than before. Not to mention it had been a month since he had sex and it was maybe the longest he'd gone without sex since he lost his virginity to Emma last summer.

Was this really happening?

Were they over?

Peter didn't want to believe it. He thought Emma would've come back to him by now. That she would've showed up in his room and they'd talk for hours before wondering why they were so stupid to think they could be apart in the first place. However, she never showed up and Peter was left to his own devices.

Emma wouldn't even acknowledge him anymore.

She never looked in his direction and she pretended like he didn't exist which hurt Peter even more.

How could it be so easy for her to treat him like that? Like he didn't matter or that they weren't in love anymore. Peter wondered sometimes if she lied when she said loving someone wasn't enough. Maybe she just didn't love him anymore.

Peter didn't know since until a month ago he thought they were happily in love.

He talked a little about the break-up with Tony who was just as stunned as Peter was when he told him that Emma broke up with him. Tony offered him words of comfort before assuring Peter that Emma was probably going through something and they'd be back together in no time. He believed him at first and was even comforted by Mr. Stark's words but as time past, Peter started to wonder if this wasn't temporary.

"Peter?" May called, knocking twice before she opened his door. "Dinner's ready."`

"Okay," He said quietly and May just stared at her nephew who'd been unusually quiet lately.

Ever since the break-up.

May still remembered gathering him in her arms that night he returned home from the compound as he bawled his eyes out about Emma breaking up with him. She still couldn't believe Emma broke up with him and Peter never really told her why.

"Are you coming?" May asked worriedly and Peter faked a smile before nodding. His smile looked more pained than happy.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a second," Peter told her and May paused as she looked at him.

"Do you want to talk?" She asked him softly. Peter just turned away.

"Not really," Peter told her and May frowned, leaning against the doorway. She was incredibly worried about her nephew. He wasn't taking the break-up well. Peter was obviously still madly in love with Emma and May couldn't understand how Emma could just leave him here like this.

"Have you tried talking to her?" May asked him and Peter huffed before turning on his side.

"She avoids me at school and the compound," Peter said, looking entirely miserable. May knew he hadn't been sleeping well. He usually stayed out almost all night as Spider-Man. More so than usual. "She won't talk to me and she practically pretends like I don't exist. Emma avoids me like the plague. She won't even eat dinner at the compound with the others and I. She has her own private family dinner with her dad."

"Did she say why she wanted to break up?" May asked softly, thinking that maybe she could help her nephew if she knew why Emma broke up with him. Peter just shrugged, shaking his head.

"I don't even know. None of it made any sense to me," Peter said, still at a lost as to why Emma broke up with him. It had been about a month now yet Peter was no closer to understanding her reasoning. "She kept saying that we were too different and we wanted different things. Emma kept saying that she didn't want to be Viper anymore…that she didn't know what she wanted and that was the problem. Then she said we weren't good for each other and that she didn't think loving each other was enough to make our relationship work."

May just stood in silence as she quietly processed all of that information. It was certainly a lot and it was more than what Peter admitted to in the past month. She swallowed hard before taking a seat next to her nephew on the edge of his bed.

"It sounds to me like Emma's been dealing with a lot," May said quietly as Peter just stared at his hands. "You know, she's had a rough go of it. She always has."

"I know that but I never cared about her past or anything. I don't know why she made this huge deal about it and then destroyed everything we had with each other," Peter said, sounding both angry and distraught. May sighed heavily.

"Emma's always been mature in a lot of ways but she also has a habit of being childish at the same time," May tried to tell her nephew to get him to understand the reason behind Emma's actions. "The saddest part is that when she was a child she had to go through things most adults never even have to go through. Because of that she's dealing with very adult issues. You told me about when she was suspended from the Avengers because she failed her psychological evaluation."

"She's not crazy," Peter said defensively. Even though he was mad at Emma, he still didn't like people talking about her like she was crazy.

"Peter, I'm not saying that," May told her nephew, giving him a sympathetic look. "Emma is just going through a lot because of what happened to her when she was a child. I think she's very confused and still needs time to heal. She needs help."

"I can help her," Peter told his aunt in a serious tone. "She knows that I'd help her. I'll always help her."

"The only thing you can do to help her is give her some space," May told him comfortingly. "I think she needs space and time to figure things out."

"But I still love her," Peter said in a distraught tone. "I can't leave her alone. I know if I could just get her alone to talk to her that I can show her-"

"Peter," May said in stern tone. Peter looked up at his aunt, his eyes blood shot from lack of sleep. "You need to give her space. You need to respect her wishes. You can't just force your way in and invade her space. Especially when you know she's got a lot going on. Peter, you can't just make it about you."

"I just miss her, May," Peter said sadly, looking defeated as he hung his head. "I'd do anything to get her back."

"I know, Peter," May said softly, pulling him in for a hug. "And I think once she's had a little time to figure things out, she'll come back to you. Emma probably misses you too."

"She doesn't show it," Peter said under his breath and May rubbed his back soothingly.

"Just because she doesn't show it doesn't mean she doesn't feel the same way," May told him softly. "You and Emma are different. You were always such a sweet boy…always so sensitive and unafraid of showing your emotions. You're an open book."

"I'm not sensitive," Peter grumbled and May laughed.

"Yes, you are," May said, smiling at her sweet nephew who couldn't be tough no matter how hard he tried. "But you have to know not everyone processes their emotions the same way."

"People like Emma?" He said softly and May nodded.

"She'll come back to you," May promised him. "Although I might have a few words for her when she does. She really hurt you."

"May…" Peter whined and May just kissed his forehead before standing back up.

"Come on. I ordered take-out," May told him, giving him a small smile. "You need to eat something."

"Okay," Peter finally relented and watched as his aunt left his room for the kitchen. He realized that he was hungry but he was still so hung up on Emma.

Peter felt so lost without her.

The past year and a half she became such a huge part of his life and now that they'd broken up, his world felt empty without her. Emma wasn't just his girlfriend but she was also his best friend. Sure, he had Ned but it was different. Peter could talk about things with Emma that Ned would never understand.

Deep down he knew May was right.

Emma needed space and time because she was going through a lot. The right thing to do was to respect her wishes but Peter couldn't help but miss her. He couldn't stop going through pictures on his phone of them together while snuggling under a blanket Emma used to curl herself up under whenever they watched a movie at his place.

There was no hiding the fact that he missed her.

Peter just worried about Emma falling out of love with him. Maybe she'd meet someone else. Someone who wasn't Spider-Man like he was and who could give her things Peter couldn't give her. Peter would just watch her and this imaginary guy together while secretly pining after her.

The thought scared Peter more than anything and he knew it would break his heart if Emma ever fell for someone else.

May seemed to think Emma still loved him so maybe he could hold on to that until she came back to him. She couldn't have fallen out of love with him that quickly, could she? Not after only a month.

Maybe there was some hope, after all.

Emma would come back to him and they'd be together again. When she did come, Peter was determined to not lose her ever again. He'd make her happy and she would never have anymore doubts about their relationship.

Everything would be great.

It just had to be.

* * *

"You have to get all the lumpy stuff out," Bucky Barnes told his daughter as he supervised her in the kitchen. He was trying to teach her how to bake. The keyword being "try".

"Why?" Emma questioned as she stirred the cake mix in the bowl.

"Because it has to be smooth so the cake isn't all lumpy," Bucky tried to explain and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Why does it matter? It's not like it would taste any different," Emma argued. "Cake's made up of flour, anyways."

"It just does, Emma," Bucky said, wondering why she questioned everything. Sometimes he felt like she was the same little girl he met all those years ago who asked too many fucking questions. "You're supposed to stir it until the batter is smooth."

"Okay then…" Emma said, not sounding like she totally believed him. Bucky rolled his eyes. "I'll stir the lumps out of the batter if it's that big of a deal to you."

"It's not the matter of me finding it a big deal or not-" Bucky then stopped himself when he realized that arguing with Emma was pointless. "You know what…fine. Just stir the damn batter."

"You know that it doesn't matter how much you supervise. I'll find a way of destroying this cake," Emma said nonchalantly. "So I think we should just scrap the whole cake thing and eat the cake batter."

"Don't people get sick from the raw egg?" Bucky questioned and Emma scoffed.

"Papa, I think you're forgetting that we both can't get sick," Emma pointed out. "Which is probably my favorite ability out of everything I can do. I mean, I can fucking fly and bench press Tony and Rhodey both if I wanted but my favorite thing is the fact I can eat all the fucking raw cookie dough and cake batter I want without getting sick."

"I think I'd rather fly," Bucky said, not sounding impressed but Emma just smirked. The teenager, without hesitation, stuck her hand into the cake batter. Bucky gave her a disgusted look and shook his head in disappointment as she stuck her fingers in her mouth and licked the cake batter off unapologetically.

"Yum," Emma said, smirking at her father while Bucky glared at her.

"You're disgusting," He told her but Emma didn't seemed bothered as she started eating the cake batter right out of the bowl.

"This tastes better than a cake and everyone knows it," Emma told him and Bucky rolled his eyes. "Someone should just invent edible cake batter. Not just the ice cream flavor but batter alone. I mean, they already make edible cookie dough. If they made edible cake batter I'd buy a gallon of that crap. Way easier than making it myself."

"Yes because adding eggs, water, and oil to boxed cake mix is so hard," Bucky said sarcastically watching as his daughter stuffed her face with cake batter. "You know, back in my time we didn't have the fancy cake mix boxes that your generation has now. My mom would slave away in the kitchen all day making stuff from scratch. There wasn't any short cuts."

"And it's because of her hard work that women like me can just eat this shit out of a bowl and buy a cake someone else made from a grocery store," Emma said smugly and Bucky couldn't help but laugh at his daughter. "That's what being a woman in this day and age is all about."

"You're something else," Bucky told her, shaking his head in amusement. Emma then practically shoved her hand, with cake batter on it, in his face.

"Taste it," Emma told him and Bucky looked revolted.

"I'm not eating it from your hand. You just licked it," Bucky pointed out to her and Emma looked at him in disbelief.

"What? You're afraid of my germs?" Emma said, almost laughing at her father. "I'm your kid."

"It's still disgusting," Bucky informed her and she rolled her eyes.

"I have the same germs as Steve," Emma told him and Bucky gave her a confused look. "It's just Steve's germs. What's the big deal?"

"What difference does it make whether it's yours or Steve's germs? It's still disgusting," Bucky argued and Emma shrugged.

"Not if you used to swap spit with Steve back in the day," Emma teased him and Bucky scoffed.

"For the last time…Steve and I were never together," Bucky told her and Emma seemed doubtful.

"Not even for a second?" Emma questioned, knowing that she was annoying her father. "You two didn't just look at each other one night in a different way. You weren't even a little bit curious…maybe even bored."

"God damn it," Bucky cursed, glaring at Emma. "Don't put those images in my head."

"I'm not putting them in your head if they're already there," Emma retorted and Bucky shook his head, trying not to let Emma get to him. He knew she took her teasing to another level.

"Nope. I can only deal with one Rogers at a time," Bucky denied and Emma laughed. "I don't need to have one as a daughter and then also date the other one. That's too much Rogers at a time for me."

"Please…Steve and I are nothing alike," Emma said, not liking being compared to her grandfather. Bucky gave her a doubtful look.

"Yeah, right," Bucky said, giving her an amused look before listing off the similarities between the two of them. "You're both remarkably stubborn, you both never listen, you both pick all the wrong fights, and you both have the same rare tendency to stress me out beyond belief. Oh and you both also have a thing for brunettes. I guess I forgot to mention that."

Bucky almost regretted making the remark when he remembered Peter was still a sensitive subject for Emma. He was about to apologize when Emma just smirked.

"You're not too different than us then. You like brunettes too," Emma pointed out, ignoring his comment about her liking brunettes. "How are things going with you and Darcy by the way?"

"Good. We're doing really good," Bucky told her and Emma continued to dig for information.

"Do you love her?" She asked teasingly and Bucky shrugged, getting uncomfortable.

"I-well," Bucky stumbled over his words. "She's uh…a really great companion to have."

"A companion?" Emma questioned, laughing at her father's choice of words. "You make it sound like she's your live-in nurse. She could be, after all. You're definitely the age for it."

"Things are more complicated when you're an adult," Bucky tried to explain to her. "I'm not in the perfect place for commitment. I'm still under house arrest so it's not like I can really take her out dancing or to a movie like back in the day."

"But you make her happy," Emma pointed out. "Darcy doesn't seem to mind not going anywhere. She just likes spending time with you."

"I know but-" Bucky started to say but Emma stopped him.

"Look, maybe you should be telling her these things and communicate with her, you know," Emma told him honestly. "The root of Peter and I's problems came from a lack of communication on my part. It's all on me and I know that but you shouldn't make the same mistake as me. Just be honest with her. I know it's not our strong suit but it would probably help you more than anything at this point."

"You're right," Bucky admitted, knowing if he wanted his relationship with Darcy to be successful then he was going to have to take the extra step forward and be more honest. Darcy deserved that much.

"Now…I'm going to make you eat this cake batter one way or another," Emma said with a serious look on her face before taking her hand and smearing the cake batter across her father's face. He stepped back in surprise. Emma giggled at his expression paired with the chocolate that was smeared on his face.

"Why?" Bucky asked in surprise.

"Because I think your face looks better with chocolate on it," Emma told him as if that statement was entirely logical. "Now eat it."

"No, I don't want to eat it. It's gross," Bucky told her, gazing at her suspiciously. He knew she was up to something. Emma was known to be unpredictable, after all.

"Eat it or you don't love me. If you love me you'd eat the damn cake mix," Emma told him and Bucky scoffed.

"That entire sentence makes no sense," Bucky told her, crossing his arms. "I'm not eating that shit and you can't make me."

"Yeah, we'll just see about that," Emma said smugly and Bucky really didn't like the look on her face. His tough stance faltered as he took a step back.

"Don't look at me like that," Bucky told her and Emma shrugged.

"Like what, Papa? I'm not looking at you in any way," Emma said innocently. Bucky shook his head.

"You have that scary look on your face like you're about to do something. I don't like it," Bucky said nervously and Emma feigned a look of innocence.

"Who? Me?" Emma said in false sweet tone. "I would never."

* * *

"Get off me, you little brat," Bucky grumbled, his face pressed against the kitchen floor. Emma had her father pinned against the floor. She was sitting on his back with his arm pinned behind him as she forcibly shoved the spoon, covered in cake batter, in his face.

"Eat it," Emma told him, not relinquishing her grip on him.

"When did you get so strong? I can't even break your hold," Bucky questioned as he struggled underneath her. Emma smirked. "I don't know if I should be proud or annoyed."

"Maybe you're just getting old and out of shape, Papa," Emma teased and Bucky started grumbling under his breath.

"I should've tossed you off that cliff all those years ago when I had the chance," Bucky told her, causing Emma's smirk to widen. "You're a little pest, you know that? Steve never even gave me this much trouble."

"Yeah but at least I'm way more fun than Steve," Emma pointed out. "Now eat the cake mix."

"Okay…what are we looking at?" Pepper Potts said in alarm as she, Maria Hill, and Rhodey walked into the kitchen. They never thought they'd ever walk in on the sight of one of the world's most deadliest assassins pinned down against the kitchen floor by a teenage girl. It was both troubling and funny at the same time.

"I made cake batter and he refuses to eat it because he's being a snob. He thinks he's too good for boxed cake batter," Emma explained as if her explanation made complete sense. Pepper slowly nodded but she still seemed unsure about the weirdness she was seeing.

"Man, isn't this your kid?" Rhodey pointed out, looking at Bucky in a entirely new way. "Can't you just get her to stop?"

"She's too strong," Bucky retorted as he tried moving his arm but Emma's grip was unwavering.

"That's not what I meant," Rhodey told her. "Just threaten to ground her or something."

"Emma, you're grounded," Bucky said weakly and Emma laughed.

"Yeah, right. That's a good one, Papa," Emma said, not taking her father seriously although the others didn't blame her. It was no secret that Bucky didn't exactly discipline Emma. He practically spoiled her and acted more like a best friend to her than a father figure. Even Tony was better at disciplining the kids than Bucky which might've explained Emma and Tony's at times tense relationship.

"I never thought I would say this to anyone in my life but, Emma, please let your father go," Pepper tried to tell the teenager but she went ignored as Emma continued to shove the spoon in her father's face.

"Eat it," She told him and Bucky sighed heavily in defeat as he finally decided to give.

He was getting too old for this shit.

They went on a mission together in a jungle once and Emma would climb up into trees before jumping from them and pouncing on him in surprise. It was her version of hide and seek. A version in which Bucky got a concussion and Emma walked away with barely a scratch. It was just that Bucky had way more energy back then to deal with her. She was also a lot smaller back then.

Now he was all rusty and out of practice.

"Fine," Bucky relented and the other three watched in both sadness and disappointment as the super soldier reluctantly licked the spoon. It was like watching a turtle on it's back. That's the kind of sadness they were witnessing.

"I think this might be the saddest thing I've ever seen in my life," Rhodey remarked as he watched the former assassin lick the spoon. Maria and Pepper nodded in agreement. "He's a grown man for Christ's sake. She's a teenage girl."

"To think this is same guy everyone in the intelligence community used to be terrified of," Maria murmured. "I don't know whether to be disgusted or to laugh."

"Emma's special that way," Pepper said, observing the scene before her. "There's nothing any of the guys here wouldn't do for her. It's been that way ever since she was rescued from Hydra. She's the heart of the Avengers."

"Well, she's got Barnes wrapped around her finger more than anyone else," Rhodey retorted and Pepper wanted to argue against that by mentioning Peter but she thought better of it. She knew Peter and Emma's break-up was still a sensitive subject even around the compound. Their break-up made everyone a bit more sad but only because everyone loved the both of them.

Especially Tony.

Pepper didn't think anyone had taken the break-up harder than Tony who acted like his favorite celebrity couple broke up. He had the same reaction as other people when Brad and Angelina split up. Emma and Peter just so happened to be Tony's Brad and Angelina.

"See? That wasn't so hard," Emma told her father as she finally got off of him and he slowly got up from the floor. He knew his back would be killing him tonight.

"You're a little brat," Bucky told her and Emma just smirked at him.

"But it tastes good, right?" Emma retorted, referring to the cake batter.

"Yeah, maybe if I wanted to eat out of the bowl like a hooligan," Bucky accused and Emma snickered.

"Hooligan? You really are almost a hundred years-old, aren't you?" Emma teased and Bucky just rolled his eyes as he wiped the chocolate off his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He then proceeded to storm out of the kitchen.

"Very dignified, Barnes," Rhodey stated as Bucky stormed past him. "Great job on instilling discipline. Father of the year."

"Fuck off," Bucky muttered before finally leaving the room. Pepper then turned to the teenage girl.

"Do you have to give your dad such a hard time?" Pepper asked Emma who only gave her an innocent look.

"I got bored."

The blonde then turned and also left the kitchen, the bowl of cake batter in hand. Pepper shook her head before looking at the mess in the kitchen. The tall woman sighed heavily.

"When Tony originally said he wanted to invite his superhero friends to live with him, I never thought of the mess and destruction involved," Pepper said tiredly and Maria shrugged.

"You're marrying into this," Maria reminded her. "It's not too late to get out while you still can."

"I could," Pepper said before a smile came over her face. "But I don't think I'd trade it for anything in the world."

"It's your funeral," Rhodey told her, patting her on the shoulder before leaving. Pepper just shook her head in amusement before looking back at the mess.

Who knew super soldiers could make a huge mess from just trying to make a cake from a box?

* * *

Emma took a walk along the edge of the forest line surrounding the compound. It was the middle of the night but Emma couldn't sleep. Well…she _could_ sleep but she didn't want to. She feared that she'd have another dream of the Tesseract and she really didn't want that in her life right now. Emma already had so much going on.

"Mini Cap."

Emma turned at the sound of Tony's voice. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't even heard him. Usually it was impossible for people to sneak up on her. However, Emma's head hadn't been in the right place lately.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night?" Tony asked, looking concerned. Emma just shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep," Emma said nonchalantly and Tony gave her a doubtful look. "Why are you out here?"

"I needed to clear my mind," Tony lied and Emma rolled her eyes. Tony might've been a genius but he was a terrible liar. "You know…some fresh air."

"Yeah, right. You never set foot outside the compound. You wouldn't know fresh air even if it bit you in the ass," Emma accused and Tony groaned before giving a more honest answer.

"Fine," Tony relented as a more suspicious look crossed his face. "I came out here because I saw you walking around out here from the window in my lab. You shouldn't be walking around out here alone in the middle of the night."

"I think I can take care of myself, Tony. Thanks," Emma said sarcastically and Tony gave her a frustrated look. Frustrated because that wasn't what he meant at all.

"What's going on with you?" Tony asked abruptly as he narrowed his eyes at the teenage girl. Emma gave him a blank look and Tony could've screamed at her in frustration. She was driving him crazy. Tony didn't understand what was going on with her. Lately she'd just been acting…well, she'd been acting crazy to say the least.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma denied although she felt like her patience with Tony was wearing thin. She was still incredibly pissed at him for inserting himself into her and Peter's love life. Tony always had a knack for sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

"Don't play dumb," Tony told her, pointing his finger in her face which made Emma chew on the inside of her cheek to keep from smacking his finger away. "You've been withdrawn lately. Way before your suspension which by the way, I find weird that you were just cool with that."

"What did you want me to do?" Emma retorted. "Throw a fit and flee the country like Steve?"

"No but you seemed…almost relieved," Tony stated, looking as though he were trying to get a good read on her. "And then you break up with Peter. Now that's something I just can't wrap my mind around."

"Why not?" Emma said calmly, refusing to show any emotion. She knew he was just trying to get a reaction out of her. "They always say high school romances never last."

"Don't give me that bullshit," Tony argued, narrowing his eyes at her. "You and I both know that you and Peter aren't just some high school romance."

"Why are you so obsessed with Peter and I's relationship?" Emma threw back in his face. "You're the richest man in the world. You're an Avenger. Why is our relationship of so much interest to you?"

"What?" Tony questioned, bewildered by her statement. Emma nodded.

"You have bigger problems in the world than two teenagers breaking up," Emma pointed out to him and Tony just shook his head.

"I just care about the both of you. That's all," Tony defended and Emma scoffed.

"No, you loved being a match maker. You prided yourself in finding someone who could finally control me and keep me in line," Emma said bitterly and Tony was taken back by her tone. "You were relieved because it meant that I was Peter's problem and not yours."

"That's not-" Tony started to say but Emma didn't let him speak.

"You thought he could change me and make me into Avenger material but you were wrong," Emma told him heatedly. "Not even Peter could change me. I'll never be an Avenger."

"Don't say that. I already told you that you can have another psych evaluation when you're eighteen," Tony informed her and Emma scoffed.

"I don't want to be an Avenger, Tony. I never did. It was just what you and everyone else wanted but you're too hung up on all your plans that you never cared to ask me how I felt about being an Avenger someday," Emma ranted at him and Tony just stared at her in surprise. "You just assume. You assume because you don't care enough to ask people how they might feel about things."

"That's not true," Tony said quietly. "I didn't know you felt that way."

"I'm not Steve and I'm not my dad. The dad you were so close with," Emma told him, trying to get it into his thick skull that she was never going to be an Avenger. "I never wanted to be Viper and I still don't want to be her. I'm not cut out for the hero lifestyle you guys are. I don't get off on saving the world like the rest of you."

"I'm sorry if you feel like I pushed you into this," Tony said sincerely. "I just want you to be happy. If you don't want to be an Avenger that's fine."

"Is it?" Emma questioned doubtfully. "Because I don't think it really is. I think you secretly loath the idea of me just wasting my potential."

"I don't-" Tony started to say and Emma interrupted him.

"Because I have all these incredible powers and you have none," Emma told him, locking eyes with him. "Because I could do so much good in the world and I could help so many people but I'm choosing not to. I don't have any good reason not to. Maybe just the fact that it was never my choice but I'm making the choice now. I don't want to save people and I don't want to make a difference. Does that bother you?"

"What's wrong with you?" Tony asked her incredulously. He was beginning to understand why she didn't pass the psychological evaluation.

"Nothing's wrong with me," Emma told him coldly. "I've been pushed around and told what to do by men my entire life and now I'm sick of it."

"So this is your feminist revolution?" Tony questioned sarcastically.

"I've earned the right to not do shit," Emma told him, not letting Tony's judgmental stance get to her. "I'm not going to let you make me feel bad for it just because I don't want to be like the rest of you. I didn't ask for these powers so I don't have to use them anymore if I don't want."

"Is this the reason why you and Peter broke up?" Tony questioned, scoffing in disbelief. "Because you're having this little teenage-life crisis. You're just pushing him away."

"Peter and I are none of your fucking business," Emma snapped, growing frustrated at Tony's need to pry into her business. "I'm so sick and tired of you pushing your way into every aspect of my life. The only reason we broke up was because you stuck your nose where it doesn't belong just like you always do."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tony demanded and Emma shook her head.

"It means exactly how I made it sound," She argued. "You always insert yourself into my life and try to meddle with it."

"Was I just supposed sit by and let you screw up the one good thing in your life because of you trying to self-sabotage your own happiness?" Tony questioned and Emma could've hit him. He was pissing her off so much.

"It's none of your business so you should've stayed out of it. It's not up to you to try and fix my life. It's my life!" Emma told him furiously. "This is the fucking problem. All of you try to make choices for me because you think you know best but you're just trying to control me. I don't have any independence. I don't even know how to be by myself and that scares me to death. I don't know how to make decisions for myself."

"You're a child, Emma," Tony tried to tell her and she looked at him in anger.

"I'm a person who should be allowed to decide what I do in my own life," Emma retorted as Tony just stared back at her. The angry look then faltered as a more distraught look came over her face. "I was going to tell him everything. I was going to come clean and come to him on my own. I never wanted to hurt him."

"So go back to him," Tony tried to tell her and Emma just shook her head.

"Not that it's any of your business but sometimes relationships don't work out. I don't want the same things he does," Emma told him and Tony didn't understand her. She seemed just as miserable as Peter did over the break-up. Tony didn't understand why she just didn't go back to him. "Sometimes people aren't healthy for each other."

"You and Peter are something special. The way you and that kid look at each other-" Tony started to say and Emma just rolled her eyes.

"Everyone keeps saying that but it's done. It's finished," Emma said bitterly. "I made my decision and I'm sticking by it. I don't give a shit if you think that makes me the bad guy or not. I really don't."

"Emma, you don't mean that. In a couple weeks, you and Peter will be back together," Tony told her and Emma glared at him.

"No, we won't," Emma told him firmly. "And from now on, just try to control yourself and not insert yourself in every aspect of my life."

"Don't talk to me like that. Steve left you in my care-" Tony started to say again and Emma stopped him before he could finish.

"Steve left me in my own care because he trusts me," Emma told him before shaking her head in contempt. "You know…I can't wait until I graduate next year. I can't wait until I can finally leave this hell hole and never see you and your stupid goatee ever again. I'm going to move somewhere so far away where they've never even heard the name Stark. Because it's only then that I'll be certain that you can't stick your abnormally large nose in my business."

"You're only saying this because you're mad at me," Tony said quietly, not wanting to take her words to heart. She glared at him.

"I'm saying this because I'm sick and tired of your bullshit," Emma told him, knowing just how to hurt him. "I'm not surprised. You have a talent for driving everyone away. You drove all the others away and now you're doing the same to me too. It's almost like you can't help yourself."

Emma began to turn to leave, not waiting for Tony to respond before she turned back to look at him one last time.

"Oh and when I do finally leave, I'm taking my father with me," Emma told him, making it clear that she was telling him this and not asking him. "I dare you, Ross, and everyone else to try and stop me. I don't care if I have to burn this place to the ground. I'm taking him with me and that's final."

The blonde then swiftly turned back around and headed up to the compound as Tony just silently stared after her. He didn't what to say to that. She was clearly pissed at him and a lot more than him. Tony realized that he shouldn't have told Peter what he overheard but he thought he was helping her. That he was doing her a favor by telling Peter so she wouldn't lose him.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe she needed to figure things out on her own.

Tony often forgot that she was nearly an adult. A part of him still saw the same girl the Avengers rescued from Hydra all those years ago. Maybe because a part of that girl still lived in Emma. Sometimes he caught glimpses of that girl in Emma's eyes whenever she looked frightened.

He supposed the horrors of Hydra never truly left her.

Tony was afraid they might not ever leave her.

* * *

Emma didn't know how she found herself at Peter's place.

A part of her was hoping he wasn't home so that she could drop off all this stuff without facing him. Maybe slip in through his bedroom window like she did so many times before. However, she didn't seem so fortunate when the door opened and it was Peter.

It wasn't like Emma hadn't seen him in the past month.

She saw him numerous times at school and around the compound even though she tried with all her might to avoid him.

Not to mention the fact that she spent hours at night imagining him in bed with her. Nothing sexual. She just liked trying to imagine him holding her in his arms. It was only when Peter held her at night that could sleep peacefully but all attempts at pretending were futile. Nothing was the same as actually being in his arms.

"Emma?" Peter said in confusion as he stared in disbelief at her. He was home alone trying to focus on his homework when he heard a knock on the door. Never did he actually expect to see Emma standing on the other side of the door.

"Hi," Emma said softly, not knowing what else to say. She couldn't help but notice how tired Peter looked. She felt worried even though she knew it wasn't her place anymore. Emma secretly wondered if he found it difficult to sleep without her like she found it difficult to sleep without him.

"You're here," He said in surprise, trying to soak in the very sight of her. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her blonde hair was up in a messy bun and she was without make-up. Emma was probably the most casual he'd seen her in a while without her skirts and pretty shirts that went along with them. She wore a pair of jeans and a sweater to go over it but the sight of her sent Peter's heart soaring.

"I um…wanted to drop some of your things off," Emma said quietly and it was only then that Peter noticed the box in her arms. He caught a glimpse of some of his things in the box and he realized that she wasn't there to see him. She was just making sure he knew that things were over between them.

"Oh…" Peter trailed off, unable to completely process what was happening. Fear swept over him because he started thinking that maybe this really was it. Maybe Emma was just finished with him. "Yeah. Um…come on. I think I have some of your things too if you want them."

Shit.

Why did he say that?

He didn't want her to take her things.

Peter wanted to give her a reason to come back. He didn't want to give her a reason to stay away. He certainly didn't want any of his things back.

Peter let her inside the apartment and led her to his bedroom. It was tough to think that the last time he led her into the bedroom that they had sex for the last time. Peter didn't really want to think about that right now. Thinking about that would only make him more upset.

"So are you doing okay?" Peter asked her once they went to his room. There was a tension in the air that neither of them could ignore.

"Yes," Emma lied as she stood there in the middle of his room. Little did Peter know that she was thinking about the last time she was in his bedroom as well. "And you?"

"Good…I'm doing good," Peter lied. Emma just nodded as she set the box down on his bed.

"So I just brought back some of your things," Emma said, almost wincing because she realized she already mentioned that. "Your sweatshirt, your old chemistry textbook, your Midtown t-shirt, and your Star Wars comicbook."

"I thought I lost my Star Wars comicbook. I've been looking for this for a while," Peter said while holding the comicbook in his hands. Emma just watched while also realizing just how much she missed Peter.

"Do you have my stuff?" Emma asked him and Peter finally nodded. He had a couple books of hers on his nightstand. She used to read her books whenever he watched Star Wars for the hundredth time.

"I also have this," Peter said, blushing as he went over to his chest of drawers and reaching inside the top drawer under a bunch of shirts where he'd hidden it. Emma watched curiously until he pulled out a bra of hers. It was her floral patterned push-up bra that Emma completely forgot about. She honestly had no idea how Peter had the bra.

"Thank you," Emma told him quietly as she put the books and bra in the box. Peter gazed at her for a moment and then he realized that something was missing.

"Your necklace…you're not wearing it," Peter stated, sounding a bit hurt at the fact that she wasn't wearing the necklace he gave her.

"You said you didn't want it back," Emma reminded him. "I'm just keeping it safe until you want it back."

"I'm never going to want it back. I already told you that it's yours," Peter told her and Emma looked away from him. It was difficult looking him in the eyes when he looked sad and hurt like he looked now. "In fact, I don't even want any of that shit back."

"Peter…" Emma trailed off, not wanting to get into another fight with him.

"You look beautiful," Peter told her and Emma immediately knew where this conversation was going. "I really miss you."

"I don't want to do this right now," Emma tried to tell him and she stiffened when Peter wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for an unexpected hug. He pressed his face in the crook of her neck and basked in the scent of her hair. The familiar smell of strawberries and coconut filled his nose and he wanted to stay there with Emma in his arms forever.

"I really fucking miss you," Peter told her and his voice sounded shaky. Almost as if he was on the verge of tears and Emma could feel her eyes flooding with tears too. "So much. I can't sleep without you in my bed. I can't focus on anything because every minute I'm worried that you're with some other guy."

"There's no one else, Peter," Emma tried to tell him but he just remained there with his arms wrapped around her.

"Please just come back to me," Peter begged her and Emma felt ready to cave in. "We can figure everything else out but I just need you with me. I can't handle not being around you. I know you're going through a lot right now and need space but I won't be as clingy anymore. I promise. I just need you."

"Peter, I meant what I said. I don't think we're good for each other," Emma said softly although Peter was tugging on her heart strings. She wanted to do nothing more than to take him back right in that moment. However, she made the decision she made weeks ago for a reason. They both wanted different things and Emma needed time to be on her own while figuring things out.

"You're wrong. We're really good for each other," Peter argued as he pulled away to look at her. "I can give up Spider-Man. I really can."

"I don't want you to do that, Peter," Emma told him, not able to quite meet his gaze. "You love being Spider-Man."

"I love you more," Peter told her, putting her hands in his and gazing at her while willing her to look at him. "I can give up Spider-Man if it means that we can get back together. I know you think I would eventually resent you for it but I wouldn't. I could never resent you, Emma."

"Peter-" Emma tried to say but Peter didn't let her finish.

"We could get married after graduation," Peter told her, trying to get her to come back to him. "Tons of people get married after graduation so it's not like it's weird. May said that her parents married young too. Then we could both go to college in the city and live in a apartment together while we're going to school. We could start trying for kids after we graduate from college and settle into our careers. I would be happy with all of that. I know you would too."

"Peter, I think we both just need time apart to figure things out for ourselves. We've just become too dependent on each other," Emma told him sincerely even though she couldn't help but want to give up and go back to him so she could have that future Peter was telling her about.

"Tell me you don't love me anymore. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me anymore," Peter demanded and Emma finally locked eyes with his. The tears in those brown eyes she adored so much nearly broke her heart. Peter was her ultimate weakness so this was the biggest possible test she could ever have. "I know you do."

"Peter, that's not why we broke up. You know why we broke up," Emma tried to tell him and Peter pulled her closer to him. She felt her heart race in her chest because she missed being this close to him. "Peter, please don't."

"I can't take this anymore," Peter told her, holding her face in his hands. "Not talking to you, not holding your hand, not sitting with you at lunch, and not kissing you anymore. Just tell me what I have to do to get you back. I'll do it. I'll do anything."

"I don't know, Peter," Emma said, sounding torn between running away or just kissing him senseless. "I just need time to figure out what I want."

"I already know what I want," Peter said softly leaning in closer to her. Emma probably should've turned or just bolted out of there but she couldn't help it. She felt drawn to Peter and especially after avoiding him for a month. Emma wanted nothing more than kiss to him again so she didn't stop him when she felt his lips against hers.

She didn't stop herself from kissing him back either.

Peter responded eagerly to her returned affections as he kissed her more passionately. Her eyes fluttered close as the kiss became more feverish. She felt his tongue slip into her mouth and she moaned into the kiss, not being able to stop herself from tangling her fingers in his hair. Peter backed her up into the bed she until fell into it with him on top of her. He quickly shoved the box off the bed to make more room for them.

"I missed you so fucking much," Peter told her before he started leading a trail of kisses down her neck. He kissed her as though he were starved and in a sense he was. He kissed her like each and every kiss might be the last one. Emma knew she shouldn't have even let him kiss her in the first place but it was difficult to resist him.

Emma blushed as she noticed the bulge in Peter's pants. She felt it against her thigh and she was suddenly overcome with desire for him. Emma wouldn't lie and say that the sudden lack of sex didn't bother her because it did. While she missed the simple things with Peter like long conversations with him, his smile, his brown eyes, and his everyday dorkiness, Emma also missed sex with him. Not just the actual act which was always more than enjoyable for her but the aftermath. She liked it when Peter would hold her in his arms afterwards and hold her all night.

Emma might've missed that the most.

"Shit," Peter cursed when Emma bucked her hips against his. He reciprocated her actions more than willingly.

It was so easy to lose herself in him.

Just like all the times before

Emma tangled her fingers in his hair even tighter in that way she knew he loved. She could tell from the way he moaned before slipping his hand under her sweater. Emma felt him cup her breast as his tongue replicated the action their hips were committing. A part of her really couldn't believe it had been a month.

A month without Peter. Emma never thought she could survive it.

Survive…wait.

Didn't this defeat the purpose of everything she told Peter a month ago?

Everything about her needing time alone. Time to figure out what she wanted and to gain some independence. Peter also wanted different things than what Emma felt like she could provide him. They were so different and Emma was so caught up in him that she'd been willing to sacrifice everything she wanted in order to keep him.

Peter began to pull her sweater off and it was then that Emma realized that she almost made a terrible mistake.

"Stop," Emma said adamantly, causing Peter to pause in his actions.

"Emma?" He questioned, his eyes wide with concern. Emma moved away from him and Peter was left staring at her. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes shut as she sat on the edge of his bed. Emma forced herself to gather her thoughts and to remember why she broke up with him in the first place.

This obsessive need for him, like an addict with their drug of choice, was a problem.

It was the reason why she made the tough decision to end things in the first place.

Her utter dependence on him terrified her.

"What is it?" Peter asked her quietly, moving over her. He attempted to wrap his arms around her but Emma scooted away.

"Please stop," She said softly and when she finally opened her eyes, Peter was taken back to see tears there. "Please…just stop."

"I don't understand," Peter said in confusion and Emma just shook her head.

"Did you think everything could be fixed with sex?" Emma asked him incredulously. She honestly felt even more hurt and confused than she had when first came over to Peter's place. "Peter, I just came here to drop off your things."

"I wasn't trying to fix things with sex," Peter insisted before giving Emma a hopeful look. "I just missed you. Seeing you in front of me again was too much to resist. I'm sorry if it was too fast for you but, Emma, this past month has been so hard."

"I missed you too," Emma admitted and Peter gave her a look of disbelief.

"Then why are we not together?!" Peter questioned, still confused why Emma broke up with him in the first place. She still loved him and cared for him. It didn't make sense why they weren't together anymore if she still felt the same way about him. "I don't understand this. I don't understand why we can't just be together and figure out all the complicated stuff later."

"Because all the complicated stuff will only get more complicated with time," Emma pointed out before glancing down at her hands which were placed in her lap. "And I already told you, Peter. I'm just confused about the things I want and we're both so different. We both see our lives going in different directions."

"The only direction I see my life going is whichever direction yours is going," Peter tried to tell her and Emma shook her head.

"I don't want you to give up Spider-Man for me," Emma told him firmly. Peter wanted to cry out in frustration. He would give up Spider-Man in a heart beat if it meant he and Emma could get back together. Peter loved being Spider-Man but he loved Emma more. He'd rather never be Spider-Man again than not be with Emma…to never kiss her again, never hold her hand, never hold her at night, and the worst part which would be watching her fall in love with someone who wasn't him.

"Please, Emma," Peter pleaded with her, feeling his eyes flood with tears as he grew desperate. Emma forced herself not to look into his eyes. She knew she'd cave if she looked him in the eyes. "Just come back to me. I know that we're different but that doesn't mean that we can't make things work."

"I don't think we can, Peter," Emma said sadly, knowing that she made the right choice in breaking up with Peter. They were incredibly dependent on each other. So much that Emma felt like she lost herself in him during a time in her life where she was most vulnerable. She was grateful for Peter…don't get her wrong. He made her want to become a better person and in a way, she had. However, Emma also had no sense of independence and she was scared she'd done the same to Peter.

"No, you don't get to make all the decisions for us," Peter said, sounding halfway torn between being angry and distraught. "I get to be a part of this conversation just as much as you."

"I don't want to argue with you," Emma said tiredly. Peter scoffed before attempting to take Emma's hands into his own and forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"I love you and you love me. That's the only thing that should matter," Peter told her firmly and Emma wished that she could kiss him or just allow herself to fall into his arms. He was so beautiful that Emma couldn't help herself. "All this other stuff can wait until we're older."

"It's not just the Spider-Man and future thing," Emma told him sincerely. She felt guilty for feeling the way she did and for being so confused. Peter didn't deserve that but she couldn't help the way she felt. The feeling of being lost and unsure of anything about herself. "I think we jumped into things too fast. Between meeting each other, then becoming friends, and now being together…I don't think I ever had time to process any of it. There's so much about myself that I'm still confused about."

"So I'll wait for you to figure things out," Peter said quickly, desperate to find a way to mend things with Emma. Anything that would ensure that she would come back to him. Emma struggled not to lose it and cry. She regretted coming over to his apartment because this past month had been hard enough. Now it was going to be even harder. "And when you figure everything out then I'll be here and we can be together again."

"Peter, I don't want you to wait for me," Emma finally told him and Peter just stared at her like she was crazy. She took a deep breath before elaborating. "Dr. Wallis was right in some ways. I'm not okay. I…sometimes I do things and I don't why I do them. It scares me but I don't want you to be weighed down by me. I'll only hold you back."

"You don't hold me back," Peter argued, not knowing why Emma always thought she didn't deserve him. As though she weren't good enough for him.

"Yes, I do. You're not like me, Peter. You don't need me," Emma told him insistently and Peter began feeling angry at that. It was almost like Emma thought that she meant nothing to him. As though it would be simple for him to just forget her like their romance was nothing but fleeting.

"So what?" Peter questioned incredulously. "You're saying that we should just split up for good? That we shouldn't even try?"

"We already tried, Peter," Emma told him, still feeling tired. "We tried and it doesn't work. You said it yourself…I don't tell you things. I don't communicate and I wish I could say that I could change but I don't know if I can."

"I'll be more patient and we'll work on it-" Peter started to say but Emma interrupted him.

"You shouldn't have to be more patient, Peter. You're only seventeen," Emma reminded him and Peter scoffed.

"You're seventeen too," Peter retorted and Emma looked away. Sometimes she didn't feel seventeen. Sometimes she felt way older. "So this isn't temporary? Just a year and a half down the drain? You just decided that we're done so that's it."

"Peter…" Emma trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I suppose you'll say that we should see other people next too," Peter said sarcastically. Emma felt hurt at his statement. Like, he thought her wanting to see other people was the first thing on her mind. As if Emma could ever be with anyone else. Peter being the only one for her which hadn't changed. It was just the fact that Emma lost herself in their relationship and was now more confused than ever.

"If that's what you want," Emma said awkwardly, knowing she didn't have the right to tell him he couldn't see other people. Truthfully, Emma hated the idea but she knew it wouldn't be fair of her to tell him that he couldn't. Peter looked at Emma in disbelief.

"If that's what I want?" Peter repeated in an angry tone. "This is coming from the same girl who glares at every girl who so much looks in my direction. You're suddenly fine with the idea of me seeing other people."

"We're not together so…" Emma told him and Peter just stared at her because he knew she was lying. She definitely didn't like the idea of him seeing other people just like Peter didn't like the idea of her seeing other people.

"Yeah, well, maybe I'll slide into Liz Allan's DMs. I think she still follows me on Instagram," Peter mentioned offhandedly to get a reaction out of her. He watched the way she looked away from him and how tense she'd suddenly become.

"That's fine," Emma mumbled and Peter pressed on.

"She comes back to the city a lot to visit her dad so maybe I'll see if she wants to see a movie or something," Peter told her and Emma felt tears flood her eyes. The mere thought of Peter with anyone else was like a knife to the heart. Peter heard Emma sniffle as she turned away from him. Usually he'd be filled with guilt and concern but now he just felt angry.

"No, you don't get to cry," Peter said furiously as he turned her back around, forcing her to look at him. "You're the one breaking _my_ heart. Not the other way around."

"Peter-" Emma denied but Peter didn't let her finish.

"This is bullshit, Emma," Peter told her angrily, his brown eyes glaring at her which made Emma want to sink into a hole and hide forever. "After everything we've been through, you're just going to throw it all away. After all the shit I put up with you. All the nights I spent at your place because you didn't want to sleep alone. Being pushed away from you because you didn't want to talk. Sticking up for you when no one else would. Being okay that you trust your dad way more than you'll ever trust me."

"Peter, I m sorry," Emma said quietly, not knowing what else she could say. Nothing would ease his anger unless she declared she suddenly wanted to get back together, after all. However, she knew she deserved his anger.

"What are you sorry for?" Peter questioned angrily. "Are you sorry that you're giving up? Or are you sorry about everything else?"

"I never wanted to hurt you, Peter. We're just not good for each other and we're so young," Emma tried to explain to him in a way that could make him, at least, understand a little. "No one who dates in high school really lasts."

"So it was all just lies?" Peter said, laughing humorlessly. "It was just lies when you told me that we'd be together forever and that you would never want anyone else…that you couldn't be away from me. Because I guess you _can_ stay away from me, Emma. It's obvious that you're totally fine without me."

"That's not true," Emma told him and Peter shook his head in disbelief.

"You know that no one else will put up with you. Not like I have," Peter said his tone laced with venom. It was perhaps the cruelest thing Emma had ever heard him say. Let alone a cruel thing he said to her. Emma felt like he slapped her and she had trouble gathering her thoughts as she stared back at him.

It was okay.

Emma knew she deserved that.

"I know," Emma said softly. She was more than aware that Peter was right. No one else would've put up with the train wreck that was her life and still want her in the end.

"So just leave then," Peter told her in a bitter tone. "Go do whatever you want, Emma. You can go back to your dad like you always do. God, you were always such a fucking daddy's girl. You know what? Maybe I'm glad this is over if it means that I never have to have to your dad's judgmental eyes on me again."

Emma just took one long look at him but she didn't feel angry towards him about his comments regarding her father. She knew her was just lashing out at her. Emma didn't blame him for it.

The teenager just nodded silently and walked out of his bedroom without another word as she did her best to keep herself from breaking down in tears.

Peter watched her leave, tears in his eyes, and he flinched when he heard the apartment door shut behind her as she left. His chest was still heaving from anger as a result from the big row he and Emma just had. Something he never intended when he first saw her standing at his door.

Guilt immediately swept over Peter as he fell back on to his bed. The realization of his cruel words hit him in an instant. Words that he never would've imagined saying to Emma had come out of his mouth as though it was someone else speaking and not himself.

Ugly words that he knew would wreck Emma's already low self-esteem. Words that completely destroyed everything Peter previously told her about how much he adored her and how there was nothing wrong with her. Peter didn't even believe the cruel words he just spoke to her but that didn't stop him from saying them.

Peter just wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt her as much as she hurt him by casting him aside like their entire relationship didn't mean anything.

He did the very thing he promised to never do.

To never hurt her.

Well, she broke her promise too as it turned out.

Her promise of forever which disappeared out the door with her when she left.

Peter had been confident that she would come back but now but he didn't feel so confident anymore. She made it clear that she didn't want to get back together. Peter began to lose a little hope that she would ever come back to him.

Maybe this was it. This could truly be the end of him and Emma forever. The only forever that could exist now that Emma didn't want to be together anymore.

If this was it then Peter was sure he would never love anyone else like he loved her.

How could he?

No one would ever compare and the only thing that would never change was the fact that his heart was still hers.

The only difference was that her heart might no longer be his.

* * *

"How are things at school?" Steve Rogers asked his granddaughter. He was able to spare some free time in between missions to facetime Emma via their secret Stark phones. Emma was sitting up in her bedroom on a Tuesday night after finishing her homework.

It had been a week since her and Peter's big fight which probably cemented the end of their relationship as well as any chance of them being able to mend things.

Emma might've kept a calm and collected façade around everyone else but as soon as she found herself in her father's arms, she let everything go. She probably cried in his arms all weekend, which Peter not so subtlety stayed behind in the city for, and he held her with no questions asked. In a way, it relieved Bucky that she cried and suffered from heart break because it was the first time she expressed any true emotion towards the break-up.

To be honest, Bucky didn't truly understand her logic towards the break-up but he supported her regardless of any of his personal feelings. He wasn't there to question her feelings or thoughts. Bucky was just there to give her his support and comfort. It was perhaps the first real moment he stepped in as just a father instead of an assassin father.

A dad helping his daughter through her first break-up.

Emma was happy for his support because it felt good to have someone on her side even if she might've been making a huge mistake. Everyone else in her life told her that she was wrong or idiotic for breaking up with Peter but her father didn't patronize her. He just listened to her and offered words of comfort.

She didn't know what she did to deserve her father.

"It's good. I just aced my history test," Emma told him with a forced smile on her face. She prayed Steve wouldn't see through her façade. Her father would've known something was wrong in seconds but Steve hadn't known her as long. "It was on WWII and Papa helped a lot so I'm buying him a bunch of Cannolis from this bakery in Brooklyn before I go back to the compound this weekend as a thank you. I thought he'd appreciate some good old fashioned Brooklyn Cannolis."

"I think he'd love that," Steve said, returning her smile. He seemingly seemed to buy into her act and Emma felt relief wash over her. "Wow…I'm actually a little envious. I can't tell you the last time I had something dessert related let alone a Brooklyn Cannoli."

"Well, when all this Sokovia Accords BS blows over, I'll buy you a bunch," Emma said, feeling unusually optimistic. "You can just relax and stuff your face with Cannolis. You probably won't be able fit into your Captain America suit anymore but I always thought the whole red, white, and blue thing was a bit tacky and corny, anyways."

"I might just hold you to it," Steve told her before giving her a curious look and changing the subject. "So how's Peter? Is he doing okay? It's been a while since we talked so fill me in on all the high school drama."

Emma paused.

She knew Steve would probably ask about Peter before she accepted his call but she also knew there was no way she was going to tell Steve about the break-up. Nor was she going to tell him about her suspension from Viper or the tension between herself and Tony. Everything in her life lately was going to shit(mostly her fault) but she wasn't going to tell Steve. He'd just worry about her and it would distract him from his missions. He couldn't afford to get distracted as Captain America. It could literally cost people their lives…including his own life.

"He's great, actually," Emma lied with ease. She was just thankful she was a talented liar unlike Steve who was terrible at it. Just like Peter was also terrible at it. Peter who's name still caused an ache in her heart. "He wanted me to tell you hello."

"I'm surprised he's not there with you," Steve told her and Emma nodded.

"Yeah, he's just hanging out with Ned. Something to do with Legos and Star Wars," Emma said, making up an excuse. "But yes…things are going great. We're actually going to prom in a couple weeks which is cool, I guess. I've never been to prom."

And she still never would.

"Really?" Steve said in surprise, practically beaming at Emma. She felt sadness sweep over her because in a different world, where she hadn't messed everything good in her life up, she probably would've gone to prom with Peter.

He would've made some romantic promposal and Emma would probably be dress shopping right now instead of feeling like a gigantic asshole. They'd hang out with Ned and MJ at the dance. She would've initially refused to dance at all that night but eventually Peter would've worn her down like he always did. They would've slow-danced to some annoying pop chart topper.

Probably something by Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift.

The night would've ended with Peter probably making an even more romantic night out of it by doing something cheesy like teenagers did in the movies. He would've gotten a hotel room and littered the room with candles. He'd give her a big speech about how she meant the world to him and Emma would be lost for words, feeling guilty because she was never as good at romance as him. They would've made love well into the night and woken up in each other's arms the following morning.

It would've been perfect.

Except that Emma fucked everything up.

Which was fine because she was sticking by her decision but that didn't mean it still didn't hurt deep inside.

"How did he ask you?" Steve said, genuinely happy to hear all about. He always loved how happy Peter made his granddaughter. Peter was almost his favorite person in world if Steve ignored the Peter having sex with his granddaughter thing. Emma shrugged.

"You know…in a very Parker way," Emma said, lying again. "With lots of flowers, candles, and corny ass music. He went big."

"Of course," Steve replied, laughing at Emma's words. "And have you found a dress yet?"

"Not yet," Emma said vaguely and Steve nodded.

"Well, you should get on it. You said prom's in a couple weeks," Steve reminded her and Emma nodded even though she knew she didn't have to worry about prom. Not like everyone else.

"I know."

"And how's everything going with the Avengers?" Steve asked, changing the subject again. Emma stiffened but she didn't think Steve would be able to tell through facetime. "Tony?"

"It's good. They're mostly just following up leads on certain threats every now and then. There hasn't really been much for me to do," Emma lied yet again. She knew Steve would be even more concerned if he found out that she was suspended from Viper duties because of her failed psychological evaluation. "Nothing too interesting."

"That's good…although I'm sure there's a lot that the accords are keeping everyone from doing," Steve mentioned, shaking his head as he spoke. "I have to tell you that we've been seeing stuff out here that's not good."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked curiously, her interest suddenly captured by her grandfather's words.

"I mean, that there's people we've found that have gotten their hands on both Chitauri and Avengers technology," Steve told her which stumped Emma.

"Like Toomes?" Emma questioned and Steve shook his head.

"I'm not talking about weapon dealers," Steve denied, a tired expression coming over his face. Emma could tell whatever it was had Steve stressed out. "These are big terrorist organizations. We're thinking Toomes probably sold them the weapons."

"I thought Tony, Rhodey, and Vision managed to get all the weapons back," Emma said in confusion and Steve shrugged.

"Maybe they missed some," Steve suggested before giving her a regretful look. "It's been a huge mess. We still haven't recovered all the weapons. The only good news is that Nat found out where our next target is."

"Wow…" Emma trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"So it might be a little while until you hear from me again. I don't know how long but I'll try to make sure I can find a safe location to contact you again," Steve informed her with an apologetic look on his face. "I know we don't get to talk a lot but someday it'll change. Someday the accords will be finished and I can come home. I promise."

"I know," Emma said quietly. She knew Steve wished that he could come home and sometimes Emma was at a loss as to why the accords was even still relevant. It was all so stupid and infuriating. She just wished Steve could come home so it could be the three of them for once.

Steve, her father, and herself.

That's all Emma wanted.

She just didn't know if she'd ever get that.

* * *

_"Emma…the day has finally come."_

_Emma knew the voice too well._

_The Tesseract._

_It had been a short while since she dreamed of the Tesseract. She was so caught up with things with Peter or she normally communicated with Carol. Carol who was either a figment of her imagination and proof of her finally losing it or, in fact, a very real person who she was connected to through the Tesseract. _

_Emma wasn't sure which theory was worst._

_"I don't want to talk to you anymore. Carol doesn't trust you and I don't think I do either," Emma told the familiar blue glow that seemed to illuminate the darkness around her. _

_"You'll know the moment when it happens," The Tesseract seemed to say even though the words were never spoken aloud. The words still seemed to vibrate with every pulse from the blue glow. "You're the only one when that can save me. The origin of what you've become."_

_"Get out of my head. I don't want you here anymore," Emma spat even though she knew that she'd never be able to pry these reoccurring dreams from her mind. It was a result of whatever super soldier serum Howard Stark invented. She felt as though with everything going on in her life, this connection she had to the Tesseract might finally send her off the deep end._

_"Only you can save me from the destruction of Ragnarok," It whispered and Emma felt chills crawl up her spine at that._

_Ragnarok? _

_What the fuck did that even mean?_

_"On a world far from this one."_

_"Emma?"_

_This time it was a different voice._

_One that didn't belong to the Tesseract._

_She glanced up but saw nothing but darkness. The voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away. Somewhere outside whatever world or realm Emma was currently in. _

_"You have powers you cannot even fathom," It informed her. "Only in time will you reveal your true self."_

_"I don't want to know my true self," Emma tried tell it but she was interrupted by the other voice in the distance._

_"Emma, wake up,"_

"Emma, wake up."

Emma awoke with a jolt as she felt someone shake her shoulder. She was two seconds away from launching into an attack when she recognized Mr. Harrington standing in front of her. Her history teacher looked upon her in concern and Emma realized that she was sitting in an empty classroom.

Everyone else had already left.

"Emma, class is over," Mr. Harrington informed her. "Are you alright?"

"Um…yeah," Emma said, still a bit dazed from her nap. She wasn't sure what happened. One second she was taking notes on Mr. Harrington's lecture on the Cold War and the next second her eyes started getting heavy. She decided to rest her eyes for a few seconds before she drifted off to sleep.

Emma wished she could say this hadn't happened before but it did.

A couple times, actually.

Emma had never fallen asleep in class until recently. It started becoming a more common occurrence and Emma didn't know what to make of it. Her physics teacher even gave her detention because of it. Darcy found it concerning but Emma brushed it off as being Peter related.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Harrington," Emma apologized gathering her books and Mr. Harrington still looked concerned. "It won't happen again. I think I've just been tired lately with studying for the upcoming final."

"That's alright," Mr. Harrington told her although she wasn't so surprised that he didn't seem annoyed. He was always more lenient than all the other teachers. Something of a pushover. "Are you sure you're alright? You look really pale. Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

"No, I think I might just be a little sleep depraved," Emma said even though in the past she'd been able to go days without sleep and still function alright. It was unusual that she felt this sleepy all the time.

"Well, if you keep feeling unwell then I suggest you go to the nurse's office. We wouldn't you fainting," Mr. Harrington told her and Emma struggled not to show annoyance. She hated it when people coddled her and treated her like an infant. However, she didn't want to risk getting another detention.

"Thank you, Mr. Harrington. I'll be sure to go to the nurse's office if I'm feeling any worse," Emma managed to say instead of just telling him to fuck off. He'd been concerned when she quit the academic decathlon and Emma just excused it as wanting to focus on her physics class which she was truthfully having trouble with after not receiving Peter's tutoring anymore. MJ was filling in for him but Peter had better ways of making her understand the subject material.

The blonde then scrambled out of the classroom as soon as possible. She didn't want to spend a second longer in there.

As soon as Emma exited the classroom, MJ was standing there waiting for her. She glanced up from her book with a raised eyebrow at Emma's flustered appearance. It wasn't a common occasion where Emma looked flustered about anything that wasn't Peter Parker related. Although Peter Parker related things were currently missing from Emma's life so that didn't make sense either.

"What's up with you?" MJ questioned, closing her book. "I've been waiting here forever. We already missed almost half of lunch."

"Sorry…I just fell asleep or something, I guess," Emma admitted, trying to seem nonchalant about the whole thing. "Mr. Harrington woke me up. Everyone already left."

"You fell asleep during class again? That's the third time this week," MJ said, giving her friend a weirded out look. As far as she was aware, Emma could usually last long amounts of time without sleep because of her super soldier serum. Falling asleep during class wasn't normal for her.

"I don't know. Maybe it's the stress from all shit going on in my life," Emma tried to explain. "I just need to get a coffee or energy drink. Anything with even a little caffeine."

"The vending machine has energy drinks, I think," MJ informed her although she still looked at Emma with suspicion. However, she decided to let it go and change the subject. Emma didn't like being pushed too far, after all. "So…have you gotten Darcy to sign your permission slip for the MoMA?"

"Shit…I totally spaced out about that," Emma said, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again. There was a lot of things that were escaping her these days. She felt like she was slowly losing it…or maybe she was quickly losing it.

Emma didn't what was considered fast or slow when losing one's mind.

"It's at the end of the week, Emma," MJ told her.

MJ really didn't want to go to the museum by herself.

Normally she would've been fine hanging out with Ned and Peter but the break-up had the friends involved divided. Peter got Ned in the divorce and Emma got her. The only upside of the whole thing was Ned and MJ had become a lot closer as friends. Before it was because they hung out whenever Emma and Peter were off doing whatever they did. Now it was because it was only each other they could turn to while trying to tiptoe around their best friend's emotional state.

"I know it is," Emma said tiredly. "Look, maybe I won't even go. Peter will probably be there and it'll be awkward."

"You don't want to be stuck at school doing study hall all day," MJ said, praying that Emma would go so she could, at least, hang out with someone who actually knew and appreciated art.

"Maybe I'll just skip instead," Emma suggested.

"We get credit for going to MoMA. It's worth a chunk of our grade. Don't skip it just because things with you and Peter are awkward," MJ said as she made an attempt at trying to convince Emma to come along on the field trip. "Besides…art is your thing. You were just talking about how excited you were for this field trip at the beginning of the semester. Don't let Peter ruin it."

"I'm the one who broke up with him. It's my fault so it's okay," Emma reminded her and MJ sighed before shaking her head.

"Fine. Just maybe consider it a little more," MJ told her and Emma nodded.

"I'll think about it but I'm not going to make any promises," Emma said in response. MJ supposed that was as good of a promise as she was going to get.

"That's all I ask."

The two high school juniors continued their walk to the cafeteria in a comfortable silence but MJ didn't refrain from casting worried looks in her friend's direction. It was no secret that the break-up was incredibly hard on Emma which MJ didn't understand. If it was killing Emma being away from Peter then why did she dump him in the first place?

MJ supposed she'd never truly understand what went on in the mind of Emma Rogers.

Peter could probably relate in that aspect.

* * *

Emma didn't feel like going home after school so she and MJ decided to hit up a nearby frozen yogurt shop before stopping in at a book store to do some browsing. It was a much needed frozen yogurt after the day she had. A day that consisted of Peter purposefully ignoring her. It must've been payback for the past month of her ignoring him but Emma was a bit relieved he ignored her. It was better than him glaring at her or picking fights with her at school.

It occurred to Emma that life felt empty without Peter's constant attention which why it might've bothered her to be suddenly ignored by him.

For the longest time, he showered her with affection and adoration. Everything seemed dull and boring now that she walked to school alone and sat at the lunch table without his hand resting on her thigh. There was no one but MJ to walk her to classes but it wasn't the same. Not the same as Peter's arm constantly wrapped around her as he looked over at her as though she was the best thing in the world.

Then there were the quiet nights alone without Peter sneaking into her bedroom to cuddle with her in her bed. Sometimes they'd have sex and cuddle afterwards or sometimes they would just fall asleep together after a long night fighting crime.

Emma missed it all and she wondered if it would get any easier with time…if she would stop missing him in every single way. She hoped that the ache and emptiness would go away. That it could just go back to the way it was before she met him when she hadn't known his love or touch. Emma envied the version of herself that was blissfully unaware of the anomaly that was Peter Parker.

Things had been so much easier back then.

"So do you think you and Parker will ever get back together?" MJ asked bluntly as the two walked down the street with their frozen yogurt in hand. Emma decided on an Italian tart flavor loaded down with lots fruit and gummy candy which sort of defeated the purpose of the fruit. MJ decided on cake batter weighed down by a mountain of Oreo cookie crumbs.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emma retorted in annoyance. She was taken back by the random question but she knew MJ was curious. MJ had refrained from speaking about Peter lately so Emma knew that it was a matter of time before MJ brought up Peter in a more serious capacity.

"What? Can you blame me or anyone else for wanting to know?" MJ defended, looking over at the blonde who just stared straight ahead at nothing. "This whole thing feels like a CW tv show. A part of it doesn't even feel real."

"I thought you wanted me to be more independent and to spend time away from Peter?" Emma threw back at her. "Now you're suddenly team Peter?"

"I'm not team anything," MJ told her seriously before hesitating. The slightly taller girl bit her lip nervously. "I just…well, you and Peter were so sickeningly happy together. Now you just seem miserable apart. That usually means you're better together, right?"

"Look, it's a little more complicated than that," Emma told her vaguely. "There's a bunch of reasons why I broke up with him. Really personal stuff that I don't feel like talking about right now. I just…it was the only solution I could see. As selfish as I am, I still knew I couldn't keep him."

"You do realize that sounds like a bunch of fucking random shit," MJ said bluntly. "I literally have no idea what a single word of that means."

"You just haven't been in a relationship. Everything gets complicated in a relationship," Emma tried to tell her. "I honestly don't see us getting back together. I'm going through a lot right now and more than what I'm willing to put him through. He's already dealt with enough of my baggage and he also said a lot of things to me that neither of us can just ignore. I don't think he really wants to get back together anymore."

"I seriously doubt that," MJ said, giving her friend a doubtful look. "Ned says that Peter misses you. He caught him snuggling with that sweatshirt of his you used to wear all the time. He's been ignoring you at school but I'm observant. I still see the way he looks at you sometimes with those sad puppy dog eyes. It's the most depressing shit I've ever seen."

"Well, he'll just get over it," Emma told her friend, trying to ignore the pang in her chest at a sad Peter. Emma felt guilty over causing him any pain.

"You do realize that this is the same boy who used to doodle your name all over his school books," MJ reminded her. "I'm pretty sure there's some sophomore out there that has a history textbook with 'Peter loves Emma' and 'Emma Parker' scribbled all over it. People were already placing bets on Peter proposing to you at our graduation."

"It's high school, MJ," Emma tried to deny as she ignored the way MJ's words made her feel. She felt both overwhelmed and saddened by what could've been if she and Peter had been different people. Only if they didn't live in this crazy world of Avengers and super powers. Things could've been exactly the way MJ described. "Nothing lasts in high school."

"You and Peter are different. It didn't seem like a high school romance," MJ pointed out to her. "It seemed real. Like the kind of stuff Jane Austen was always writing about. Well, only if Elizabeth Bennet had the mouth of a sailor like you do."

"But it's not," Emma said bitterly, trying to make it clear that she didn't want to talk about Peter anymore. "Because it's over and what's done is done. He'll move on to someone else and I'll go back to the way it used to be before everything."

"I don't think it's that simple," MJ said, not believing that even Emma really thought it would be that easy. However, it was clear that she wasn't going to be able to convince Emma otherwise. This was just something the stubborn girl was going to have to learn herself.

"I'll decide that for myself," Emma retorted around a mouthful of frozen yogurt. "Now let's literally talk anything else."

"Fine. Let's talk about Miss Nettle's end of the semester project. We're supposed to start coming up with a plan in-" MJ started to say until she stopped when she noticed Emma had stopped on the sidewalk. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she observed how Emma seemed to be staring straight ahead as a…_shocked_ look came over her face.

Shocked?

MJ couldn't remember seeing her so shocked. Emma was usually carefully composed.

"What the actual fuck," Emma cursed and MJ finally followed her line of vision. She felt her eyes widen in shock as well.

"Is that who I think it is?" MJ asked and Emma slowly nodded.

Standing a short distance away on a street corner was a very tall and muscular looking blonde man dressed in frumpy clothing that still couldn't look bad on a man like that. His golden blonde hair practically shimmered under the sunlight as the man looked around as if he were searching for something.

Emma would recognize that man anywhere.

He was kind of hard to forget, after all.

"Thor," Emma murmured, her eyes still trained on the very large man who didn't seem to notice her quite yet.

Thor who went back to Asgard three years ago in search of something called Infinity Stones. Emma still didn't understand just what the fuck those were. She knew that Vision's mind stone and even the Tesseract were included in that group but she still didn't understand. Emma just dismissed it as whatever mystical shit that went along with Thor's weird medieval alien world.

It was funny that he so randomly appeared in front of her when no one had received word from the man since he left after what happened with Ultron. Emma had almost forgotten about the Asgardian prince until she spotted him just now.

However, it was only then that Emma noticed who was standing next to him.

A man far more slender and stuck-up looking stood next to Thor. A man dressed in all black. It was almost like he thought he was Johnny Cash or something. He contrasted against Thor who always seemed to be full of life and color. This man appeared to be strikingly pale which stood out against his inky black hair. Even paler than Emma who always thought she was very fair skinned. The man resembled a ghost more than anything.

Could it really be…Loki?

Holy shit.

Emma had never felt more stunned in her entire life. Here she was standing just several feet away from the God of Thunder and the God of Mischief. The God of Mischief who once tried to take over the world and almost destroyed the city she was currently standing in. Probably what Peter would've considered a major supervillain.

Right there…in front of her.

Emma hadn't even felt this starstruck seeing the Haim sisters in person.

Somehow Loki took all her breath away. He was the bad guy of all bad guys. The worst possible foe that the Avengers ever fought and yet he was right there. She felt giddy at the sight of him. Steve always called him evil, Natasha labeled him a psychopath, and Tony referred to him as Reindeer Games. He was practically a legend to her and Emma could hardly believe he was standing right in front of her.

"It's Loki," Emma said in disbelief and MJ nodded quietly. "It's really him. Look at him, MJ. He even looks like a supervillain."

"I know," MJ whispered, still staring at the God of Mischief and completely ignoring Thor just like Emma was. "Where do you think he bought that outfit? Is there some kind of designer store for supervillains? Maybe he has his own tailor and it's custom made."

"He can do magic, MJ. He probably just conjured it out of thin air like a magical Stella McCartney," Emma retorted without taking her eyes off of him. "He doesn't shop. That asshole probably just walks into a place and people practically throw all their possessions at him."

"Do you think he's here to take over the world or something?" MJ asked Emma and the blonde sighed almost dreamily.

"I sure hope so," Emma said, still looking in awe at the very famous enemy of the Avengers. "I was bunkered down in Siberia the last time he took over the world so I missed out on everything. Watching Tony try to fight this guy would be hilarious. It's been so long since he's put on the Iron Man suit, I doubt he can even fit into it anymore."

"Sometimes I wish I could be a supervillain," MJ told Emma. "Not kill anyone or anything but just to scare some people."

"When I actually was a villain, I feel like I wasted it. I didn't even enjoy it," Emma added and MJ nodded, listening to her friend. "I could've scared the shit out of a bunch of people and burned the Hydra base to the ground but all I cared about back then was the stupid fucking mission. I didn't even take the time appreciate the fact that I could do whatever I wanted."

"Oh, well. I guess it's too late to jump into the villain game now," Emma continued to say, giving the idea some thoughtfulness. "Steve would be so disappointed in me. He'd probably give me that disappointed look and then lecture me for two hours."

"Not to mention you need a really good motivation to be a villain," MJ mentioned to Emma. "Like Tony Stark has to betray you, your entire family has to be killed, or you have to want revenge."

"All three of those could work for me," Emma joked and MJ snickered.

"Hey, I guess you're right," MJ admitted and Emma just shook her head in amusement before turning her head to look at her friend.

"Let's go talk to them," Emma immediately suggested and MJ looked at her in surprise.

"Talk to them? Are you crazy?" MJ said, not knowing whether to feel scared or excited by the idea of actually talking to Thor and Loki.

"Well, I'd kind of like to know where the hell Thor has been all this time," Emma added before smirking. "Not to mention I want to meet Loki. Thor said he was dead so I never thought I'd get the chance."

"What if he tries to do some evil magic on us?" MJ questioned and Emma shrugged.

"I don't think a fellow Slytherin would do that to two other Slytherins," Emma said smugly as she started to walk in their direction. MJ just rolled her eyes before reluctantly following her friend to meet an Avenger and one of the Avengers' worst enemies. If Loki killed her, MJ hoped that Emma would live with the guilt for the rest of her life.

"Well, well, well…" Emma said smugly as she approached Thor. "Look who finally came back."

Thor looked at the teenage girl in confusion. He didn't recognize her at first although for some reason the teenage girl seemed to recognize him. It was only after running his eyes over her face that he began to realize who it was. A large goofy grin came across the Asgardian prince's face as he beamed at her.

"Lady Emma?!" Thor shouted excitedly while MJ and Loki both watched the two curiously. "Is that truly you?"

"Hello, Thor," Emma said, smiling back at him. Thor shook his head in astonishment while raking his eyes up and down her form. It wasn't in a creepy way. Just in a way of disbelief.

"Look how grown you've become since I saw you last. You've grown taller and…very womanly," Thor complimented, grinning from ear to ear. "Why…you've become a woman, Lady Emma."

"That's what happens when you disappear for three years," Emma retorted, growing uncomfortable from him praising the way she'd grown up. It made her feel childish.

"And I apologize for disappearing for so long but things in the nine realms have morphed into utter chaos," Thor said apologetically before glancing over her appearance once again. "I cannot simply believe that you are now a woman, Lady Emma. I still remember when you were the cruel and mean girl I used to know. Your grandfather and Stark must have to fight off a hoard of handsome suitors begging for your hand in marriage. No one could rival your beauty."

"Um…excuse me, Mr…Thor," MJ started to say, not entirely sure what to call Thor. "Emma's perfectly capable of fighting off suitors herself. She doesn't need men to do it for her. She's not some prize to be won."

"Oh, I apologize for any offense," Thor said, giving the girl standing beside Emma a curious look. She looked similar in age to Emma but, like Emma, she didn't seem very impressed with him. Emma rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Don't mind her, Thor. Apparently everything's a feminist statement in her eyes," Emma said dismissively. "It's good to see you again."

"You as well," Thor said happily. "It's very good to see a friend's face after so long. It's been a tumultuous three years since I saw you and your grandfather last. How does your grandfather fare these days? How are the others?"

"It's kind of been a while since you were here. You missed a lot," Emma told him, realizing that things were completely different now than from when Thor left all those years ago. "It's a super long story."

"Well, perhaps we can discuss it at another time." Thor suggested before growing more serious. "Lady Emma, I hate to ask you of this but I may need your help."

"Anything for the God of Thunder," Emma said sarcastically. The sarcasm seemed to go over Thor's head but Loki smirked. He gave the blonde a curious look, wondering who she was and how Thor knew her.

"It's quite a funny story. It turns out Loki's been alive all this time. My brother's always been quite the trickster," Thor said, laughing nervously as he gestured to Loki who gave Emma his most charming smile. A look of amusement crossed Emma's face.

"It's a pleasure," Emma told Loki who looked at her in surprise. None of Thor's friends ever looked happy to see him. "I'm a big fan of your work."

"Thor, who is this delightful young friend of yours?" Loki asked and Thor didn't approve of the way Loki was staring at Emma. "I don't believe you've ever mentioned her."

"This is Lady Emma and that's all you need to know," Thor told his brother, giving him a disapproving look.

"And this is my friend MJ," Emma introduced and MJ waved her hand, trying to play it cool. Like she wasn't just meeting two aliens from another planet. Thor smiled charmingly at the teenage girl.

"It's an honor to meet one of Lady Emma's friends," Thor told her, taking MJ's hand in his and leaning down to kiss it. MJ immediately yanked her hand out of the man's grip and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She snapped and Thor looked alarmed. Emma just rolled her eyes. Loki looked positively delighted by Emma and MJ's reaction to Thor. It differed from the reaction the other two teenage girls had to him earlier.

"Yeah, he's weird like that," Emma informed her friend before looking at Thor. "By the way, the whole chivalry thing is so lame. Kissing a girl's hand is considered pervy now. Don't do it. Especially a teenage girl's hand."

"My apologies. I meant no offense," Thor apologized and Emma just shook her head while MJ looked at him suspiciously.

"So what's the reason you came back? Please tell me it has nothing to do with the Avengers because that ship sailed a long time ago," Emma inquired and Thor seemed mildly confused by her odd choice of words but answered her honestly nonetheless.

"It seems as though my brother has been masquerading as our father all this time on Asgard whilst he sent our father into exile here on Midgard," Thor informed her while he cast his brother an annoyed look. He subsequently then returned his gaze to Emma. "Apparently he sent our father to a place where Midgardians send their elders. A place known as Shady Acres."

"Oh my god," Emma said, laughing as she glanced over at Loki who seemed quite proud of himself. "You put your dad in a home?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Loki defended and Emma just shook her head in amusement.

"I tried to put Tony in a home once but when he figured out where we were going he made Happy turn the car around and then he took my Stark tablet away," Emma added, remembering how angry and annoyed Tony looked. She tricked him and Happy into thinking they were going out for smoothies but all she really did was waste everyone's time. "It was worth it though."

"Well, it's all gone now," Thor said, trying to bring them back to the important matter he needed help with. He gestured to the huge pile of rubble where a building had been demolished. Emma caught sight of the sign that read 'Shady Acres'. "There's no trace of our father and I was hoping that the Avengers might be of some assistance."

"Yeah, that's not likely," Emma said bluntly and MJ nodded in agreement. "Like I said before, you've missed a lot. The Avengers kind of broke up."

"The Avengers are no more?" Loki asked and a creepy smile came over his face while Thor just looked confused.

"Lady Emma, I do not understand," He said, sounding incredibly stumped by this news. Emma sighed before nodding.

"Tony and Steve had a huge falling out around a year after you and Bruce disappeared," Emma explained to Thor. "They were always arguing. You know that. Everything was like a dick measuring contest with them so it was only a matter of time before it came crashing down around them."

"So the Avengers are gone?" Thor questioned and Emma shrugged.

"Pretty much. The government got involved and messed it all up. There's so many regulations now that the Avengers can't do shit. The only ones left here in New York are Tony, Rhodey, and Vision," Emma continued to give a brief summary of past events to Thor. "Steve and Natasha are running their own separate team of Avengers but they're fugitives now. Sam and Maximoff went with them. Clint's on house arrest on his family's farm and I'm stuck here going to high school. It's a huge fucking mess."

"I see," Thor said, trying to process all this information. It was true. All the nine realms really were enveloped in chaos. More so than he thought. With the Avengers split up, it really opened up Midgard to attack which was not good in any shape or form.

"It looks like I returned to Midgard at just the right time, Brother," Loki said deviously and Thor glared at him. "Maybe now Midgardians will be more receptive to a ruler."

"Hey, with all this Sokovia Accords and government control, that might not be the worst idea," Emma added. MJ couldn't tell if she was kidding or not. "If you take over the world again could you maybe kill a man named Thaddeus Ross while you're at it. He'll only get in your way on your road to power so it would be really beneficial to you if you offed him…just a little word of advice."

"I will take that under consideration," Loki answered, smirking at the blonde while she just smirked back at him. Both MJ and Thor looked between the two in alarm.

"Okay…this is all kinds of wrong," MJ remarked and Thor nodded in agreement. He felt as though Steve Rogers might have his head for ever introducing Emma to Loki. Tony always joked that the world might end if those two ever ended up in a room together. Thor was starting to catch his meaning. "I don't know what it looks like when two supervillains plot an evil plan but this might come close."

"Stop it," Thor said shortly, narrowing his eyes at the two. "Stop looking at each other like that."

"Like what, Thor?" Loki said innocently and Emma almost mimicked his feigned look of innocence.

"Like you're about to do something," Thor told them, crossing his arms. "I don't like this."

"We're not even doing anything, Thor," Emma said, rolling her eyes at the Asgardian prince. "Don't be so melodramatic. You're acting like Steve. The fun police."

"I am_ not_ the fun police," Thor argued, looking offended that Emma would even insinuate something like that. "I have fun."

"Since when?" Emma questioned and MJ raised an eyebrow. She didn't think she would live to see the day where the God of Thunder had a petty argument with a teenage girl. However, it was no secret that Emma could at times bring out the worst in people.

"I was having fun long before you were even a thought in your mother and father's heads," Thor retorted and Emma scoffed.

"Shows what you know. Anyone that knows me knows that I was an accident," Emma threw back in his face. "I know that because Clint said I was."

"I have no care as to what Clint said," Thor bickered with her. "My only point is that I am not like Steve Rogers. I just…sometimes you have to become responsible when the occasion arises-"

"Yup. Sure sounds like Steve to me," Emma said in a bored tone. She glanced over at Loki. "I guess I see why you went batshit crazy. The self-righteousness of some people will do that to you."

"I am not going to stand here and argue with you, Lady Emma," Thor said, sounding infuriated by the young girl. He forgot how irritating she could be. Not to mention the fact that she bore no resemblance to her grandfather aside from the looks department. "I have a mission to complete and that mission is finding my father."

"Why do you want to find your father, anyways?" Emma deadpanned, looking entirely uninterested in Thor's mission. "He sounds like a real asshole. Nothing like my father who's the best father in the world. He's back by the way. The only upside of this shitty post-Avengers world."

"I'm happy to hear of your adoptive father's return but while my own father might have his faults, he's still a man of great virtue and strength," Thor defended and Emma didn't look like she believed him.

"Really? Because he kind of sounds like Tony if Tony became a father," Emma retorted and Thor gasped in hurt. "Kind of like, daddy knows best and all that BS. My father doesn't pretend to know what's best. He listens and gives me advice while allowing to make my own decisions. If I made a mistake then that's a lesson that can be learned. That's what a good father does."

"You don't mean that," Thor said in an offended tone. "My father's not like Stark."

"No…he's worse," Emma said, insulting Thor intentionally. Loki gazed at Emma like she was something he'd never seen before.

"I like her," Loki stated, grinning at Emma.

She didn't seem surprised.

Emma always thought she and Loki would have an instant friendship. It made perfect sense to her. Emma thought he sounded cool and not to mention a friendship with Loki would piss everyone she knew off. Emma loved pissing people off. Especially Tony. Any chance she could be a pain in his side was a welcomed opportunity in her eyes. Tony was hilarious when he was mad which was why Emma loved messing with him.

"Hey, you want to take a selfie?" Emma asked Loki randomly. MJ looked at her in surprise. She knew that Emma hated selfies and thought people who took countless selfies of themselves were idiotic. "It would really piss off Tony Stark. And Ross too for that matter. I'm still suspended so I don't have anything to lose. That and it would be hilarious."

"You had me at infuriating Stark," Loki said, chuckling and his eyes glimmering with mischief. A goofy grin crossed Emma's face as she pulled out her phone. Thor stared at the two in bewilderment.

"This is not good," Thor stated, looking between the two in worry.

"It's definitely the end of times," MJ said in agreement. She never thought in a million years she would be in a position to agree with the God of Thunder on anything let alone Emma and Loki instantly bonding over terrorizing Tony Stark. It was a weird situation. That was for sure.

They both watched as Viper and the God of Mischief took a selfie.

"Can you do your best evil asshole smile? Like, can you look like you're about to take over the world," Emma requested of him and Loki nodded. "Something that'll make Tony shit himself.

"I believe I can achieve something quite similar," Loki confirmed and Emma seemed satisfied with his response. She leaned closer to him and smiled at her phone. Loki glanced at her curiously before giving his best menacing smile at the phone.

"I'm going to send that to Darcy. She'll get a huge kick out of it," Emma said to herself as she sent the picture to Darcy. She didn't think it was a good idea to send the picture to Tony until after Thor and Loki left. Not if she didn't want Tony flying over and destroying half of New York just to capture Loki.

"Loki, that's enough," Thor said demandingly. He was getting really annoyed with the delay in searching for Odin. Thor knew that Loki only meant to distract him from the task of locating their father. "Lady Emma, I would deeply appreciate it if you did not encourage my brother."

"Fun police," Emma said under her breath, sharing a look with Loki. Loki smirked again.

"Fun police," He said in agreement even though he didn't entirely understand the odd Midgardian lingo.

A pinched look came over Thor's face because the last thing he needed was Loki making a friend. Especially Emma as a friend. He wasn't sure how he knew this but Emma and Loki bonding was going to end up in a death. The only question was who's death was that going to be?

"Stop that. Stop that now or I will tell your grandfather of your unruly behavior," Thor warned her. Loki just rolled his eyes playfully at Emma and she snickered in return causing Thor to frown.

"They already have inside jokes?" MJ said in amazement. "This is so fucking weird."

"If we cannot get the assistance of the Avengers then we need to find another way to-" Thor started to say but he was interrupted by a shimmering orange circle appearing on the ground. The circle seemed to surround Loki and left everyone speechless. Even Emma for a moment before she realized what it was.

Then she remembered.

"What's this?" Thor questioned, suspicion in his eyes as he glanced accusingly at his brother. They definitely still had trust issues, Emma thought to herself. "W-What are you doing?"

Loki just glanced at Thor, looking just as mystified as to what was happening as the rest of them. Emma wondered just how Strange knew Thor and Loki were on Earth. They obviously hadn't been there long. She supposed it was one of his witchy abilities.

"This isn't me," Loki said firmly before he gave out a yelp as he fell through the portal. The three of them watched with wide eyes as the portal closed back up. It was almost as if it was never there in the first place.

The only thing left in place of the portal was a small piece of paper.

"What the fuck?" MJ said in disbelief. The tall girl was still staring at the ground where Loki disappeared. "You know, Emma, when I first signed up to be your friend I didn't really think I'd be meeting supervillains and then watching said supervillains disappear through random portals in the ground."

"You're welcome for making your life more interesting, MJ," Emma told her smugly and MJ just rolled her eyes before Thor captured both of their attention. It was only then that Emma noticed that Thor had an umbrella.

Weird.

An umbrella he was currently using to poke the spot in the ground where Loki vanished.

"Loki?!" Thor hissed as he tried to see if his brother would somehow reappear. "Loki?!"

"Where did he go?" MJ questioned but Emma had a feeling that she knew exactly where he went. Well, maybe not where he went but definitely who was responsible for the portal.

"My brother doesn't often tell the truth but something tells me that he was not deceiving us when he said that it wasn't him," Thor told the two girls before picking up the piece of paper off the ground. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he read what was on the paper. Emma leaned over and read the paper as well but rolled her eyes when her suspicion was confirmed.

_177A Bleecker St._

* * *

**Author's Note: I just wanted to say that I know Peter said a lot of mean things in this chapter and before everyone gets pissed, he totally didn't mean any of it. He was just hurt and lashed out at Emma. I just wanted to make that clear because I know people can get kind of sensitive when Peter's acting OOC. Not that he was acting like that in this chapter but he's just hurt by Emma and her not wanting to get back together.**

**So, anyways, I hope you liked the chapter. Loki and Emma finally met which is amazing. I had so much fun writing that. I'm going to try and stay canon with the Ragnarok dialogue and write more humor in future chapters. You got a bit of a taste of it at the end of the chapter.**

**Now onto guest reviews...**

**Marvi: I have no comment on the unprotected sex thing. I think Emma and Darcy talk about that earlier in the chapter but I just want to say that it's not what you think...like it might be what you think for a while but...I'm just going to shut up now because there's no way I can explain it without giving anything away for future chapters.**

**Emma definitely was pissed at Tony for blabbing. He really didn't need to get involved but I think Emma will eventually see that Tony was just trying to help because he cares about her and Peter. It just might take a little bit more time for her to see that. She's just really angry and confused right now. Peter's still hanging out at the compound(at least sometimes) and it's big place so it's not too difficult for Emma to avoid him. She just hangs out with her father mostly.**

**I have gone far off from canon so you have a point. Despite some stuff that Peter's gone through, I think he's still a little bit naïve. I'm keeping it canon that Tony's death and the events of Far From Home will be that final thing that really makes him grow up and kind of makes him more guarded. **

**Emma's not really being logical at the moment. That's why everyone else doesn't really understand why she dumped Peter. She's just really confused and doesn't really know what she wants. **

**I also meant for Emma to sound a bit unhinged when she said those things to Peter. If you think about it, they're very obsessed with each other. They're always together and rarely spend time apart which I kind of intended when I wrote their relationship. They're both super young, have dealt with their fair share of trauma, and live in a very adult world. They really only have each other to cling to because they're the only children involved with the Avengers. It's way more intense than a normal relationship between two teenagers which I think was what Emma was getting at.**

**TargaryenStark95: It really hurt writing the last chapter but at the same time I love angst so a part of me loved it. Sorry the chapter took longer than intended but everything I write always ends up being longer than I originally planned. Thanks for reviewing. **

**Guest: So regarding the teen pregnancy thing, it might be what you think/dread for a while but I'm not writing a storyline like that or at least not in the way you're thinking. I had a random idea like that once during the many scenarios I've come up with for Infinity War and Endgame but I thought it would be too hard to write and then Peter and the kid would probably be like twelve years apart when he came back which is kind of weird. In all honesty, I'm just writing more angst and mostly because you don't read the kind of storyline that I'm intending on writing. I feel like it doesn't get talked about a lot within most stories. I know that's vague and probably doesn't make any sense but that's all I'm willing to give away for now. **

**SanFranBoy: I've come up with so many different scenarios for post Infinity War. I must've come up with, at least, ten different ones. I don't want to give away what will happen to Emma at the end of Infinity War or what scenario I picked. However, I have picked the scenario I'm really satisfied with. I obviously don't want to give away anything so I won't but I think it's scenario that will allow a lot of character development for Emma which is what really matters most to me.**

**I'm still undecided about whether or not I'm going to include Emma in the Far From Home storyline. I have a lot of plans for this story but I think I need to see where my writing takes me a little bit more before I make any firms decisions so I'm not completely sure about that. Far From Home will definitely happen in the STNS universe but Emma's involvement in it is the only question that I'm still debating.**

**So I think IW and EG will be the same as they can be with an OC like Emma involved. I don't currently think it would change any deaths or major events within those storylines. I'm just going to be going a little AU with a huge chunk of the story being original writing between Infinity War and Endgame. I'm kind of planning a third story in the series after North Star which will be completely AU and I think that will be the final story in the series. Not to worry...that's a long ways off. Really long. **

**I don't think I spoiled too much so you're good. **

**Guest: Thank you so much! I love getting new readers so that's awesome. I'm probably the opposite. All I read are fanfics with OC's but I get what you mean. I've really worked hard on the character development for Emma so that really means a lot. Thanks so much for taking the time to review.**

**Selena Malfoy: Thank you! I'm really happy you're enjoying the sequel. I was always a bit worried that it wouldn't match up to STNS but I guess I also don't really see it as a sequel. More like a continuation of STNS. Thanks for reviewing.**

**OFdoc u t: Oh my god. That means so much. I definitely still feel self-conscious at times about my writing so it definitely helps hearing stuff like that. I'm glad you found STNS and North Star. I can still hardly believe how many people have read STNS. I doubt it will ever really sink in. Thanks so much for leaving a review.**

**Hmmm: There's been so many amazingly kind reviews lately and I'm really living for it. Thanks so much and it really means the world to me that you've enjoyed STNS and this story. I really wanted to make it feel like Emma was a part of the MCU and not just some random OC thrown into plotlines where it felt awkward and forced. It makes me happy that people recognize it because I've worked really hard on that. I know Peter's still childish and that's what I intended. I think he'll really start maturing post Endgame and Far From Home. In the movies I think Tony's death and the events of Far From Home really changed him. Emma also isn't really completely mature either even though she likes to think she is. I think there's a lot of character development in store for her in the future as well.**

**Thanks so much for leaving a review. I really appreciate it. **


End file.
